CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Paid Posts

Evan Harris: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what paid posts in the offices of the Church Commissioners are subject to a test of religious belief in respect of  (a) appointment and  (b) promotion.

Stuart Bell: In relation to appointment, the posts of Secretary to the Church Commissioners and Chief Financial Officer both carry requirements that the post-holder be a practising Christian.
	Religious belief is not a relevant factor in promotion (except to these two specific roles).

Churches: Closures

Ben Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough,, representing the Church Commissioners, what matters the Church Commissioners expect to be raised at the forthcoming summit on church closures; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: Church of England staff have been meeting with officials from the Treasury, the Department for Culture Media and Sport, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Office of the Third Sector and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	Both the Government and the Church of England recognise that enabling churches to become community resources is one of the best ways of safeguarding those buildings while helping meet the needs of their local communities. However, the full potential of churches as community resources and as part of schemes for social regeneration is undeveloped and unrealised.
	By way of a statement, the main focus of these meetings has been, first, to examine the barriers currently faced by churches—of all denominations and faiths—who want to open up their buildings for the use of the wider communities; second, to look at how these barriers can be overcome; and, third, to identify national, regional and local sources of public funding programmes. A paper is being drawn up for a further meeting of Ministers and the Bishop of London in the near future.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what conclusions the Government Equalities Office has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) is a new Department which was established on 12 October 2007. We have recently finalised our GEO terms and conditions with trade union representatives and are currently consulting our staff and stakeholders on the content of our Equality Scheme which, among other things, sets out our steps to fulfil our obligations under the disability equality duty. The scheme will be published on the GEO website in due course.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the Answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 336- 37W, on Government departments: information and communications technology, which IP addresses are used by  (a) her Department and  (b) computers in the offices of its (i) Ministers, (ii) communications officials and (iii) special advisers.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office relies on IT systems provided by other Government Departments. To help defend against electronic attack, it is standard good information security practice for corporate IT systems, not to publish internal IP addresses. When accessing internet websites, the IP addresses of all of the Government Equalities Office's computers are hidden behind the following IP addresses which are publicly available—195.92.40.49 and 62.25.106.209. These IP addresses are shared with other Government Departments that use the Government secure intranet.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much the Government Equalities Office spent on Ministerial hospitality in each financial year since the Office was established.

Maria Eagle: No such hospitality costs have been incurred. Since its establishment on 12 October 2007 the Government Equalities Office has funded nine ministerial receptions. Details of these are shown on 19 November 2008,  Official Report, column 473W and 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 4W. The cost of the receptions includes room hire and catering charges for refreshments for delegates but in accordance with usual departmental practice these costs are not classified as hospitality, which is taken to be lunch or dinner provided to visitors from outside the Department.

Departmetal ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the answer of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 804W, on departmental ICT, what the  (a) expected completion date and  (b) expected cost was at the outset of the project.

Maria Eagle: The new GEO website is expected to be ready in January 2009. The expected cost at the outset of the project was £37,491, excluding VAT.

Rape Crisis Centres

Anne Moffat: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what progress has been made on provision of emergency funding for rape crisis centres.

Maria Eagle: Nineteen rape crisis centres have been awarded grants from the second and final round of this special fund, to a total of nearly £706,000, ensuring that they have been able to remain open.
	The Government continue to step up action to tackle rape and bring offenders to justice. The latest figures show that in 2006 there were nearly 800 convictions for rape, compared to just over 500 in 1997, an increase of over 45 per cent.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Death: Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many children died from each cause of death in each local authority in the last year for which data are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, December 2008:
	As National Statistician. I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children died from each cause of death in each local authority in the last year for which figures are available. (240759)
	The table provides the number of deaths of children aged under 16 years, in total and for the five most common causes of death, for each local authority in England and Wales, for 2005-2007 (the latest year available). A copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library. To allow breakdown by cause of death, figures have been given for the years 2005-2007 aggregated together. Figures of childhood deaths for all specific causes are not available for local authorities, as these data are judged to be too detailed to preserve anonymity in death statistics. A copy of the table has been placed in the Library of the House.

Death: MRSA

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many death certificates on which  (a) MRSA and  (b) clostridium difficile were mentioned were issued in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many death certificates were issued in England and Wales on which (a) MRSA and (b) Clostridium difficile were mentioned in each of the last three years. (24G568)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where (a) MRSA or (b)  Clostridium difficile was mentioned on the death certificate, in 2005 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)( 1)  or Clostridium difficile( 2)  was mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales, 2005 to 2607( 3) 
			  Persons 
			   MRSA  Clostridium difficile 
			 2005 1,649 3,757 
			 2006 1,652 6,480 
			 2007 1,593 8,324 
			 (1) Identified using the methodology described in Griffiths C, Lamagni TL, Crowcroft NS, Duckworth G and Rooney C (2004). Trends in MRSA in England and Wales: analysis of morbidity and mortality data for 1993-2002. Health Statistics Quarterly 21, 15-22. (2) Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Report: Deaths involving  Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 2001-2005. Health Statistics Quarterly 33, 71-75. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Employment

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of working age adults were in employment in each local authority area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, December 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of working age adults were in employment in each local authority in each year since 1997.
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1 shows the number of working age persons in employment (Males aged 16-64. Females Aged 16-59) in each local authority for the 12 month periods ending in February, for 1998-2004, from the annual LFS, and for the 12 month periods ending December, for 2004-2007, from the APS. Estimates for April 2007 to March 2008 from the APS have also been included as being the latest available. Table 2 shows the percentage of persons of working age ill employment for the same periods and geographies as Table 1. A copy of the tables has been placed in the Library of the House.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.

Employment

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the number of new additional jobs created since 1997 in the  (a) public sector and  (b) private sector.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the number of new additional jobs created since 1997 in the (a) public sector and (b) private sector. (241590)
	The Office for National Statistics collects employment statistics for the public sector as part of the Quarterly Public Sector Survey and for the private sector as part of the Labour Force Survey. However, statistics related to job creation are not collected.
	However we can provide the growth in employment within both sectors. The data are attached at Annex A.
	 Annex A
	
		
			  Public and private sector employment headcount( 1) 
			   Public sector( 2)  Private sector( 3) 
			 1997 Q2 5,179 21,315 
			 2008 Q2 5,771 23,767 
			
			 Growth (headcount) 592 2,452 
			 Growth (percentage) 11.4 11.5 
			 (1 )Headcount figures are in thousands. (2) Source: Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey. (3) Source: Labour Force Survey.

Government Procurement Card

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which departments and agencies utilise the Government Procurement Card.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	There are currently 1,153 UK public sector organisations utilising the Government Procurement Card Service. A full list has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Suicide: Coproxamol

Anne Begg: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many suicides have been caused by the drug coproxamol in each of the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
	As National Statistician. I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many suicides have been caused by the drug Co-proxamol in each of the last three years. (240754)
	The table attached provides the numbers of deaths for which the underlying cause was suicide by drug poisoning and a paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound (co-proxamol) was mentioned on the death certificate either alone or together with other substances, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	Where more than one drug is mentioned on the death certificate, it is not always possible to tell which of them was primarily responsible for the death.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where suicide by drug poisoning was the underlying cause of death( 1)  with a paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales, 2005 to 2007( 2,3,4) 
			  Deaths 
			   Paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene  compound only  Paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound and other substances  Total mentions of paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene 
			 2005 78 134 161 
			 2008 82 65 80 
			 2007 60 51 61 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (3CD-10) codes X60-X64, Y10-Y34 and a paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound was mentioned on the death certificate. (2) Figures for England and Wales included deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (4) Where paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene were the only drugs mentioned on the death certificate, and where paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene were mentioned with other substances. Figures include deaths where dextropropoxyphene was mentioned without paracetamol, since in England and Wales dextropropoxyphene is very rarely ingested except in combination with paracetamol.

Teenage Pregnancy

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the conception rate was among girls aged under 18 years in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Kevin Brennan: The information falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the conception rate was among girls aged under 18 years in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007. (240377)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or legal termination.
	The number and rate of conceptions to girls aged under 18 in 2006 (the most recent year for which figures are available), for England and Wales are shown below.
	
		
			  Number and rate of conceptions to girls aged under 18,  England and Wales 
			  Year  Number  Rate( 1) 
			 2006 41,768 41 
			 1 Per 1,000 female population aged 15-17.

Textile Industry: Manpower

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were employed in the  (a) weaving,  (b) spinning,  (c) dyeing,  (d) finishing and making-up and  (e) silk industry sectors of the clothing and textiles industry at the latest date for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many people were employed in the (a) weaving, (b) spinning, (c) dying, (d) finishing and making-up and (e) silk industry sectors of the clothing and textiles industry at the latest date for which figures are available (240416).
	Table 1, attached, shows the number of employee jobs in the weaving, spinning, finishing and making-up, and silk industries in Great Britain in 2006.
	Estimates of employment are usually provided using the Labour Force Survey. However because of the interest in industrial sector, your question has been answered using the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), which provides estimates at the 4-digit Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC03) level.
	'The ABI is a business survey which provides estimates of employment according to the number of jobs. The estimates exclude people who are self-employed workers in the industry sectors requested. Please note that dyeing employment estimates cannot be provided separately using 4-digit SIC03, and estimates for the silk industry are also included under weaving and spinning.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the Annual Business Inquiry are subject to margins of uncertainly.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of employee jobs in selected clothing and textile industries( 1) , 2006—Great Britain 
			   Number (thousand) 
			 Weaving(2) 7 
			 Spinning(3) 5 
			 Finishing and Making-up(4) 86 
			 Silk(5) 3 
			 (1) Using four-digit Standard Industrial Classification 2003 (SIC03) (2) The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1721-1725 (which includes weaving of silk). (3) The four digit SIC03 codes used are l711-1717 (which includes spinning of silk). (4) The four digit SIC03 codes used are 1740-1330. (5) The four digit SIC03 codes used are1715 and 1724.  Source: Annual Business Inquiry

Unemployment

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) employment and  (b) unemployment rate for (i) women, (ii) men and (iii) men and women aged (A) 16 to 24, (B) 25 to 34, (C) 34 to 49 and (D) 50 to 60 years was in each month of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated December 2008:
	As National Statistician. I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) employment and (b) unemployment rate for (i) women, (ii) men and (ill) men and women aged (A) 16 to 24, (B) 25 to 34. (C) 34 to 49 and (D) 50 to 60 years was in each month of the last 10 years. (241444)
	The attached table provides estimated employment and unemployment rates for the categories requested, for each quarter since 1998. Monthly data is not available.
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	The figures have been derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. Consequently, the figures from quarter 3 2006 are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Public Relations

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on external  (a) public affairs and  (b) public relations consultants in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 10 December 2008
	In DEFRA, public relations covers a wide range of activity which forms an important element of a broader communications mix. This can include advertising, direct marketing, live events and publications. The following table shows what public relations activity was procured via DEFRA's Communications Directorate since FY 2004-05 using the COI Public Relations Framework.
	
		
			  Financial year  PR agency  Campaign  Expenditure (£) 
			 2004-05 Amazon PR Sustainable Development 58,788 
			 2005-06 Amazon PR Sustainable Development 67,084 
			  Weber Shandwick Climate Change 86,781 
			 2006-07 EdComs and Blue Rubicon DEFRA Year of Food and Farming 50,872 
			  Amazon PR Sustainable Development 48,973 
			  Trimedia Harrison Cowley ACT on CO2 campaign 49,250 
			  Amazon PR Sustainable development 48,973 
			 2007-08 Trimedia Harrison Cowley ACT on CO2 campaign (including a series of regional roadshows) 476,301 
			  Munro and Forster Waste 64,424 
			  Trimedia Communications UK Climate Change Champions 32,216 
			  EdComs and Blue Rubicon DEFRA Year of Food and Farming 242,578 
			 April 2008 to November 2008 EDComs and Blue Rubicon DEFRA Year of Food and Farming 28,230 
			  Munro and Forster ACT on CO2 campaign 77,788 
		
	
	We do not collate expenditure under the heading 'public affairs'.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties.

Hilary Benn: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. My latest official duty outside London was on 28 November, when I attended the meeting of the Cabinet in Leeds. I travelled to and from Leeds by train.

Environment Agency: Manpower

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the Environment Agency's first flooding engineers to graduate from university and take up positions in the agency.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The first Environment Agency Foundation Degree students in flood and coastal engineering graduated from the University of the West of England in 2006. To date, 75 students have graduated and over 90 per cent. are employed by the Environment Agency as technician engineers.
	There are currently 138 engineering graduates and students training with the Environment Agency under a national development programme that includes the Foundation Degree students, Masters Degree students from various universities and graduates under professional training agreements. The Environment Agency expects that 50 engineering staff will join its business each year by 2010 through this programme.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on repairs of critical infrastructure which is at risk from flooding.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Ministers have had discussions with the Environment Agency on this and other matters. The agency has held a significant number of discussions with local resilience forums and emergency services about the critical infrastructure in their areas. The agency has also provided extensive advice to operators of critical national infrastructure and is currently working closely with them to identify their sites at risk and provide them with appropriate flood warnings.

Forestry Commission: Public Relations

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 19 November 2008,  Official Report, column 476W, on public relations: Forestry Commission, if he will break down the indicative cost for 2007-08 by category of services provided.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 10 December 2008
	The nature of the Forestry Commission's activities means that individual staff deal with several aspects of communications as part of a single project and it is therefore not possible to break down costs into discrete communications activities. An indicative breakdown can be given for the broad areas of activity.
	Promotion of the public forest estate, including advertising and marketing of events, promotion of visitor facilities and attractions and literature for walks, cycling facilities etc., amounted to £316,000.
	Press, media and internet communications carried out by Forestry Commission staff and external agencies working on the Commission's behalf amounted to £544,000.
	Corporate publicity, which includes the promotion of sustainable forestry policy and practice, grants and licences literature, events and trade shows amounted to £120,000.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 15 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1218-22W, on non-departmental public bodies, how the budget savings over the period  (a) 2007-08 to 2008-09 and  (b) 2008-09 to 2010 of (i) Natural England, (ii) Carbon Trust, (iii) Encams, (iv) RPA Operations and (v) the Marine and Fisheries Agency break down among spending areas.

Huw Irranca-Davies: h olding answer 8 December 2008
	The budgets for Natural England, Carbon Trust, Encams, RPA Operations and the Marine and Fisheries Agency, split between resource and capital spending areas are provided in the following table. A comparison between years is also provided.
	Budgets are set annually, based on forecast workloads contained in business plans. Budget savings are managed in-year through normal budget monitoring and management procedures and the outcome reported in the relevant bodies' annual reports and accounts.
	
		
			  Budgets 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  £  million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			   Resource  Capital  Total  Resource  Capital  Total  Resource  Capital  Total 
			 Natural England 175.3 5.7 181.0 169.8 6.1 175.9 165.8 6.1 171.9 
			 Carbon Trust 70.7 20.0 90.7 58.7 30.4 89.1 58.7 27.0 85.7 
			 ENCAMS 5.0 0.0 5.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 
			 RPA Operations 239.1 25.1 264.2 201.6 22.0 223.6 182.7 19.6 202.3 
			 Marine and Fisheries Agency 20.7 4.0 24.7 20.5 3.0 23.5 20.5 3.0 23.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Budget changes between the years 
			  £  million 
			   2007-08:2008-09  2008-09:2009-10 
			   Resource  Capital  Total  Resource  Capital  Total 
			 Natural England -5.5 0.4 -5.1 -4.0 0.0 -4.0 
			 Carbon Trust -12.0 10.4 -1.6 0.0 -3.4 -3.4 
			 ENCAMS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 RPA Operations -37.5 -3.1 -40.6 -18.9 -2.4 -21.3 
			 Marine and Fisheries Agency -0.2 -1.0 -1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Pesticides: Crop Spraying

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take on regulation of pesticide spraying following the recent High Court ruling by Mr. Justice Collins on the matter.

Huw Irranca-Davies: This is a complex judgment and we need to consider it carefully.
	The protection of human health is paramount. Pesticides used in this country are rigorously assessed to the same standards as the rest of the EU and use is only ever authorised after internationally approved tests. These explicitly include impacts on people who live next to fields, consumers who eat treated crops and farmers who do the spraying.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Pay

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what bonuses were paid by his Department in 2007-08; to which members of staff; and for what purposes.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department makes bonus payments to its staff for two purposes: (a) special bonuses to reward outstanding contributions in particularly demanding tasks or situations; and (b) performance bonuses linked to the end of year staff appraisal, which are awarded to staff who have had a highly successful performance over a whole year.
	The following table shows the breakdown of the bonuses awarded:
	
		
			  Bonuses 2007-08 
			   Number awarded  Total amount (£) 
			 Performance Bonuses (non-SCS) 196 225,350 
			 Senior Civil Service Performance Bonuses 24 251,750 
			 Special Bonuses 207 87,000 
			 Total 427 564,100

WALES

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what records his Department maintains of its expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) alcohol for official hospitality.

Paul Murphy: My Department currently keeps records of expenditure on all official receptions held.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Chairman's Work Load

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many hours per week the proposed Chairman of the Electoral Commission will be expected to work; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Viggers: The Speaker's Committee decided in December 2007 that in future the post of Chairman of the Electoral Commission should be filled on a part-time basis. Accordingly, the panel appointed by Mr. Speaker to select a candidate for the appointment advertised it in March 2008 on the basis of a time commitment of typically three days a week. The precise terms and conditions are to be agreed between the new Chairman and the Commission.

Police Authorities

Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what consideration the Electoral Commission has given to the arrangements which would be necessary to elect members of police authorities.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it is aware of proposals in the July 2008 Policing Green Paper for directly elected crime and policing representatives in England and Wales. It plans to give further consideration to the administrative arrangements for such elections, including the time scales for implementing new elections and the funding provided for their administration, when more detailed proposals are published.

TRANSPORT

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the effect on levels of congestion on the Dartford-Thurrock toll crossing consequent on the introduction of the revised tariff for a car from £1.00 to £1.50; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Highways Agency is closely monitoring the impact of the new charging regime on traffic. It is too soon to draw firm conclusions as traffic levels on particular days can be influenced by other factors, for example incidents on neighbouring parts of the network and promotional days at nearby retail centres. However early indications are that there has been some switching of traffic from the charged period (6 am to 10 pm) into the free night-time period.

Official Cars

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 116WS, on the cost of Ministerial cars for 2007-08, which Ministers and senior civil servants had use of a Government Car and Despatch Agency vehicle in 2007-08.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Ministerial Code sets out who is entitled to use an official car provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Severn Bridge: Tolls

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the working group on the Severn Bridge is expected to present its findings.

Paul Clark: The working group presented its findings in early October to the Highways Agency's chief executive.
	The working group established that, in principle, it is feasible to accept credit/debit cards as a method of toll payment at Severn Crossings. A number of detailed operational, technical, financial and contractual issues need to be considered.
	Negotiations with the Concessionaire began on 20 October and the Concessionaire has since commenced detailed financial discussions with the banks and equipment suppliers.

Transport: North-East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government has spent on capital transport infrastructure projects in the north- east in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: The funding allocation provided by the Department for Transport for capital transport infrastructure projects in the north-east in each year since 1997 is as follows.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Integrated transport block  Highways maintenance  Other funding( 1)  Total funding for transport infrastructure projects 
			 2007-08 33.920 42.181 17.023 93.124 
			 2006-07 33.180 44.165 12.002 89.347 
			 2005-06 33.400 44.170 20.316 97.886 
			 2004-05 40.337 47.095 20.199 107.631 
			 2003-04 36.500 35.878 31.420 103.798 
			 2002-03 35.400 36.120 34.474 105.994 
			 2001-02 34.940 34.195 25.792 94.927 
			 2000-01 16.100 40.820 40.820 97.740 
			 (1) Other funding comprises funding major schemes, capital de-trunking and capital road safety. 
		
	
	Funding allocations made prior to Local Transport Plan Funding.
	
		
			   Total allocation (£ million) 
			 1999-2000 42.500 
			 1998-99 31.981 
			 1997-98 40.119 
		
	
	Since April 1997 the Government have also provided specific capital funding for the Tyne and Wear Metro amounting to £65.626 million. Up to and including 2004-05 this was provided solely as revenue support although Nexus were able to use this for capital spending on the Metro.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Directgov

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unique visitors have used the Directgov website in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Directgov's core usage measure is visits rather than unique users. Monthly visits for 2008 are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Month  Visits (million) 
			  2004  
			 January n/a 
			 February n/a 
			 March n/a 
			 April n/a 
			 May 0.4 
			 June 0.6 
			 July 0.8 
			 August 0.8 
			 September 0.8 
			 October 0.9 
			 November 0.9 
			 December 0.8 
			 Total 2004 6.0 
			   
			  2005  
			 January 1.3 
			 February 1.2 
			 March 1.2 
			 April 1.4 
			 May 1.4 
			 June 1.2 
			 July 1.3 
			 August 1.5 
			 September 1.8 
			 October 2.0 
			 November 2.0 
			 December 1.4 
			 Total 2005 17.7 
			   
			  2006  
			 January 2.2 
			 February 2.1 
			 March 2.9 
			 April 2.4 
			 May 2.7 
			 June 2.7 
			 July 2.7 
			 August 3.0 
			 September 3.4 
			 October 3.5 
			 November 3.5 
			 December 2.6 
			 Total 2006 33.7 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 4.1 
			 February 4.1 
			 March 5.3 
			 April 4.6 
			 May 5.2 
			 June 5.5 
			 July 5.5 
			 August 5.4 
			 September 5.6 
			 October 6.1 
			 November 6.1 
			 December 4.4 
			 Total 2007 61.9 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 8.1 
			 February 7.2 
			 March 8.4 
			 April 8.2 
			 May 7.1 
			 June 7.8 
			 July 7.9 
			 August 10.1 
			 September 11.3 
			 October 11.3 
			 November 11.0 
			 December n/a 
			 Total 2008 (up to November) 98.4 
			  Note: Figures for 2008 include an adjustment for electronic vehicle licensing (from August). 
		
	
	Directgov has unique user statistics for part of our site but does not yet measure unique users for all our sub domains.

Directgov

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which sub-sites of the Directgov website have  (a) received the most direct visitors and  (b) recorded the most online transactions in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the performance of each sub-site against objectives in creating two-way engagement between the citizen and government.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Directgov Motoring section and electronic vehicle licensing (eVL) were the sub-sites that received the most direct visitors and recorded the most online transactions in the last 12 months.
	We are looking at how we might make citizens who complete a transaction on one of these sub-sites aware of what else Directgov has to offer. This is relatively simple to do but requires the Departments who manage the content or own the transaction on the sub-sites to include the necessary changes to allow us to advertise other services.
	One area in which we have seen a degree of success is the Act on CO2 campaign. The offline advertising calls for citizens to search online for the campaign without mentioning Directgov. Yet we know that about a fifth of people accessing the Act on CO2 campaign site have come from a promotion on the main Directgov website suggesting that they found the campaign while looking at something else on Directgov.

Directgov: Finance

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of running the Directgov website was in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Expenditure on the Directgov website since its launch in 2004 has been as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £  million 
			 2004-05 4.6 
			 2005-06 9.7 
			 2006-07 11.9 
			 2007-08 13.1 
		
	
	In addition, the following expenditure was incurred on non-web channels (i.e. kiosk, DTV and mobile):
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2004-05 0.4 
			 2005-06 0.8 
			 2006-07 0.8 
			 2007-08 0.8 
		
	
	Expenditure for the current year (2008-09) is not yet available.

Directgov: Marketing

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the Directgov website is being promoted to the public.

Jonathan R Shaw: Directgov is promoted to the public through a variety of online and offline channels. Online promotion includes partnership arrangements with sites such as AOL and MSN. Directgov also undertakes search engine optimisation and pay per click activity with search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo.
	Offline channels include an ongoing PR programme plus partnership activities with intermediaries such as Jobcentre Plus and UK Online Centres.
	Directgov also undertook a month long marketing campaign in February 2006 and again in March 2008 which focused on the depth and breadth of the Directgov offer, new transactional content on the website, and on Directgov's multi-channel presence.
	Looking ahead, as Directgov becomes the main point of entry to public services online, there is an imperative to generate a higher level of awareness of Directgov and its services to the public. Therefore Directgov is planning a national marketing campaign to run over the next three years, starting in January 2009. It will be a multi-media campaign, using TV, radio, print, partnerships, ambient and online channels to increase understanding of the depth and breadth of information and services available through Directgov on the web, mobile and DiTV. The aim is to demonstrate relevance to citizens and increase propensity to use Directgov, with consequential increase in brand awareness and visitor numbers to Directgov. This will help Departments to realise the benefits from Directgov by increasing use of the online channel.
	Allied to this, we are looking at how we can use alternative channels such as branded 'widgets' and applications to deploy content onto third party sites in the future.

Directgov: Standards

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Directgov website; and what criteria have been established to assess its effectiveness.

Jonathan R Shaw: Directgov has a benefits framework covering two customer groups: the citizen and Government Departments. Within each of these groups, performance is determined with reference to five benefits categories. Each of these benefit categories is evidenced by KPIs drawn from a variety of sources.
	The effectiveness of Directgov is then monitored through regular reporting against these supporting KPIs. The main sources of information include:
	Customer surveys (citizen)—conducted quarterly
	Stakeholder surveys (Government Departments)—conducted every six months
	Web metrics—available continuously
	Brand research—conducted annually (in addition before and after the marketing campaign).
	Performance against the framework is assessed on a quarterly basis and reported to the Directgov board.
	Currently Directgov is performing well against the target KPIs in each category.

Disability Living Allowance: Sight Impairment

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many registered blind people receive the  (a) low and  (b) middle rate mobility component of the disability living allowance (i) in each (A) region and (B) constituency and (ii) nationwide.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave her on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1969W.

Employment Services: Lone Parents

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what employment programme lone parents with children under the age of 12 years will be eligible to take part in once the flexible new deal has been implemented nationally and employment zone contracts have ended; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 2002-003W.

Housing Benefit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of abolishing the single room rent and paying housing benefit claimants the same rate of benefit irrespective of their age in the last 12 months.

Kitty Ussher: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave her on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1975W.

Lone Parents: Income Support

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 9 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1685W, on lone parents: income support, what progress has been made towards developing a communications strategy to support the changes to the eligibility rules for income support coming into effect in  (a) October 2008,  (b) October 2009 and  (c) October 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: A communication strategy to support the changes to the eligibility rules for Income Support affecting lone parents is currently being implemented.
	The strategy has a very clear focus on the need for timely and accurate communications to (1) customers affected by the changes, (2) Jobcentre Plus staff in roles impacted by the changes, and (3) external stakeholders involved in giving accurate advice to customers.
	Key objectives of the communications strategy are to ensure that the following audiences receive co-ordinated, timely and tailored messages, as follows:
	Existing lone parent customers and those making new or repeat claims to Income Support—understand the changes and how they will be affected
	Advisers working with customers—know how the changes will impact on them and their lone parent customers
	Stakeholders external to Jobcentre Plus—are clear on these changes and the effect they will have upon them and their customers.
	To meet these objectives the strategy includes the following:
	Mailshots sent direct on 6 October 2008 to specific lone parent customers, which outline the effect that the changes may have on them, including new requirements for quarterly attendance at work-focused interviews and how their claim to disability premium could be affected (where relevant).
	A further mailshot in on 24 November 2008 to lone parents affected, confirming that the changes have been approved by Parliament. This will be supported by local mailshots to offer voluntary interviews 6 weeks prior to the end of the lone parents' Income Support.
	Providing lone parent customers with detailed information factsheets that clearly outline the changes for them and the action they may need to take with the support of their adviser.
	A leaflet and poster campaign to explain in visual format the steps each lone parent will take as the changes impact them.
	Local 'Options and Choices' events for lone parents that explain the changes and offer advice and guidance in preparing for work (these have been in place since April 2008).
	Publication of details of the changes on both the DWP and Jobcentre Plus Internet sites.
	A range of products available to Jobcentre Plus staff to ensure that they are able to deliver the correct messages to customers including briefings, desk aids, presentations, key messages, links to guidance and supporting articles in internal publications. This also includes roadshows delivered to senior managers to ensure understanding of the changes.
	Numerous presentations to key external stakeholders and close engagement with external lone parent voluntary groups.
	The same approach is proposed for introduction of Phase 2 of the changes in 2009 and Phase 3 in 2010. However, in spring 2009 we will evaluate the Phase 1 communications and feed these findings into communication plans for the next phases.

Social Fund

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in  (a) crisis loans,  (b) budgeting loans and  (c) community care grants to people in (i) each Jobcentre Plus district and (ii) each region in each month since April 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to her on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2027W.

Social Fund

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Jobcentre Plus districts underspent their allocations for  (a) crisis loans,  (b) budgeting loans and  (c) community care grants in each year since 2003; how much and what proportion of the budget for each such district the underspend represented; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to her on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 2026-027W.

Social Security Benefits

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) benefit payments and  (b) pension payments were issued by giro cheque in each (i) constituency and (ii) region in each of the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: The number of benefit and pension accounts paid by cheque in each constituency for each of the last three years will be placed in the Library.
	The number of benefit and pension accounts paid by cheque in each region for the same period is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  All cheque payments by government office region and pension/other benefit: April 2006 to April 2008 
			   All  Other benefit  State pension 
			  April 2006
			 All 469,680 365,100 104,580 
			 
			 North East 23,870 19,660 4,210 
			 North West 58,880 47,350 11,530 
			 Yorks and Humber 43,350 33,620 9,730 
			 East Midlands 32,780 26,030 6,750 
			 West Midlands 46,930 37,390 9,530 
			 East 35,830 27,770 8,050 
			 London 60,430 49,440 11,000 
			 South East 52,400 39,600 12,790 
			 South West 43,920 29,920 14,000 
			 Wales 25,950 19,720 6,230 
			 Scotland 45,350 34,600 10,750 
			 
			  April 2007
			 All 453,900 366,440 87,460 
			 
			 North East 23,850 20,300 3,550 
			 North West 57,170 47,550 9,620 
			 Yorks and Humber 40,000 32,210 7,790 
			 East Midlands 32,040 26,440 5,590 
			 West Midlands 46,960 38.980 7,980 
			 East 35,010 28,150 6,860 
			 London 57,340 48,250 9,080 
			 South East 49,780 38,820 10,960 
			 South West 42,930 30,980 11,950 
			 Wales 26,230 20,860 5,370 
			 Scotland 42,600 33,890 8,710 
			 
			  April 2008
			 All 422,040 346,350 75,690 
			 
			 North East 24,460 21,280 3,180 
			 North West 52,690 44,460 8,230 
			 Yorks and Humber 36,790 29,880 6,910 
			 East Midlands 30,540 25,730 4,810 
			 West Midlands 43,960 37,140 6,830 
			 East 31,890 25,960 5,930 
			 London 51,370 43,780 7,590 
			 South East 47,160 37,590 9,560 
			 South West 38,670 28,120 10,550 
			 Wales 25,280 20,540 4,740 
			 Scotland 39,250 31,870 7,380 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures are at April in each year, 2006 to 2008. 3. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date. 4. Child benefit is administered by HM Revenue and Customs and War Pensions are administered by MOD. These benefits have therefore been excluded.  Source: DWP, Information Directorate, 100 per cent. data

Social Security Benefits: Interviews

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance has been issued to Jobcentre Plus staff in relation to the time allowed to interview claimants by Jobcentre Plus.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 9 December 2008
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what guidance has been issued to Jobcentre Plus staff in relation to the time allowed to interview claimants by Jobcentre Plus. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus conducts a wide range of different interviews to meet both business and customer needs. Guidance to staff outlines the purpose and content of each interview type and the average length of time these should take to complete. Each interview takes into account the time required to undertake activities that must be covered in every interview and those that are only required as and when individual customer circumstances dictate.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol-related emergency admissions to hospitals there have been in  (a) the London Borough of Bexley,  (b) the London Borough of Greenwich and  (c) the London Borough of Bromley in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) age and (ii) sex of patients admitted.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of alcohol-related finished admissions in the London boroughs of Bexley, Greenwich and Bromley for each year since 2002-03 to 2006-07 can be found in the following table. Data for earlier years are not available. 2006-07 is the latest year for which data are available.
	
		
			  Number of alcohol-related finished admissions 
			2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			  London borough  Age  Total  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females 
			 Bexley Under 16 15 * * 30 10 20 25 7 18 
			  16-24 38 * * 58 44 14 80 50 30 
			  25-34 69 43 27 81 54 27 90 63 27 
			  35-44 95 60 35 141 101 40 163 98 66 
			  45-54 110 79 31 136 99 37 138 84 55 
			  55-64 104 71 33 130 85 46 161 104 56 
			  65-74 106 68 38 131 93 37 169 110 60 
			  75 or over 168 86 82 247 128 119 282 145 137 
			  Total 706 439 267 954 614 340 1,109 661 449 
			
			 Bromley Under 16 10 * * 22 11 11 19 7 12 
			  16-24 71 * * 101 60 41 132 80 52 
			  25-34 106 57 49 120 72 48 121 71 50 
			  35-44 155 87 68 196 113 83 235 138 97 
			  45-54 199 129 70 236 158 78 283 185 98 
			  55-64 196 136 60 276 172 104 341 233 108 
			  65-74 228 155 73 276 187 89 349 233 116 
			  75 or over 443 225 218 559 282 277 674 355 320 
			  Total 1,408 870 538 1,786 1,054 732 2,154 1,303 851 
			
			 Greenwich Under 16 9 * * 14 * * 20 * * 
			  16-24 81 * * 85 * * 109 * * 
			  25-34 107 68 39 138 81 57 167 109 59 
			  35-44 160 103 57 206 136 71 271 185 86 
			  45-54 154 121 33 236 176 60 297 218 79 
			  55-64 167 119 48 215 158 57 273 199 75 
			  65-74 136 91 45 198 144 54 266 184 83 
			  75 or over 225 116 109 303 159 145 393 211 183 
			  Total 1,039 708 331 1,396 952 444 1,797 1,233 564 
		
	
	
		
			2005-06  2006-07 
			  London borough  Age  Total  Males  Females  Total  Males  Females 
			 Bexley Under 16 31 12 19 25 9 16 
			  16-24 85 51 34 65 42 23 
			  25-34 96 63 33 92 57 36 
			  35-44 162 87 75 130 77 53 
			  45-54 163 100 63 184 120 64 
			  55-64 187 124 63 196 141 54 
			  65-74 175 115 60 217 149 67 
			  75 or over 304 162 142 319 176 142 
			  Total 1,204 715 488 1,228 772 457 
			 
			 Bromley Under 16 27 15 12 29 9 20 
			  16-24 146 83 63 129 76 53 
			  25-34 152 96 56 157 89 68 
			  35-44 294 196 98 281 169 112 
			  45-54 298 200 98 308 193 115 
			  55-64 372 249 123 400 272 128 
			  65-74 378 266 112 423 285 137 
			  75 or over 781 394 387 808 404 404 
			  Total 2,449 1,500 949 2,535 1,497 1,037 
			 
			 Greenwich Under 16 24 10 14 15 * * 
			  16-24 115 69 46 99 * * 
			  25-34 213 138 74 170 118 52 
			  35-44 261 185 76 251 165 86 
			  45-54 299 230 69 335 248 87 
			  55-64 303 218 85 280 202 78 
			  65-74 244 159 85 253 164 89 
			  75 or over 407 219 188 394 205 189 
			  Total 1,867 1,229 638 1,797 1,217 580 
			  Notes: 1. Includes activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. 2. Small numbers To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed and replaced with "*" (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed. 3. Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO). Following international best practice, the NWPHO methodology includes a wide range of diseases and injuries in which alcohol plays a part and estimates the proportion of cases that are attributable to the consumption of alcohol. Details of the conditions and associated proportions can be found in the report Jones et al. (2008) "Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: Alcohol-attributable mortality and hospital admissions". 4. Emergency admissions Includes all types of emergency admission (Method of admission codes 21-28). 5. Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 6. Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. 7. Secondary diagnoses As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (6 prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care. 8. Number of episodes in which the patient had an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis These figures represent the number of episodes where an alcohol-related diagnosis was recorded in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a HES record. Each episode is only counted once in each count, even if an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. 9. Data Quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Allergies: Research

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was made available by his Department for allergy research in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 9 December 2008
	The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Departmental expenditure on allergy research  (£000) 
			 2003-04 590 
			 2004-05 483 
			 2005-06 371 
			 2006-07 768 
			 2007-08 1,183 
		
	
	The departmental figures relate to national research programme expenditure. They do not include the significant expenditure on allergy research from the research and development allocations that have over the last 10 years been made annually to national health service providers. That information is not held centrally.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support biomedical research. The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. It funds a large portfolio of allergy research.

Anti-depressants: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of prescribing anti-depressant drugs in the London Borough of Bexley in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The British National Formulary (BNF) classifies anti-depressant drugs within section 4.3. The following table shows the net ingredient cost for drugs within this section that have been prescribed in Bexley Care Trust, which covers the London borough of Bexley. As this information is available for the most recent 60 months at any one time, figures exist only for four complete financial years (April to March inclusive).
	
		
			  Net ingredient cost and number of prescription items of antidepressant drugs (BNF section 4.3) in Bexley Care Trust, 2004-05 to 2007-08 
			  Financial year  Primary care trust name  BNF section name  Net ingredient cost (£) 
			 2004-05 Bexley Care Trust Antidepressant Drugs 1,119,010 
			 2005-06 Bexley Care Trust Antidepressant Drugs 895,117 
			 2006-07 Bexley Care Trust Antidepressant Drugs 810,164 
			 2007-08 Bexley Care Trust Antidepressant Drugs 763,942 
			  Source: Prescribing Analysis and Cost Tool (ePACT).

Breast Feeding

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to bring about an increase in levels of breastfeeding.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to the promotion of breastfeeding and the prevalence of breastfeeding at six to eight weeks is a key indicator in the Child Health and Well-being Public Service Agreement. 'Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives' a cross-government strategy for obesity (January 2008) aims to reverse the rise in childhood obesity and breastfeeding plays an integral role in this. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	Key actions to increase levels of breastfeeding include the investment of £4 million for the primary care trusts (PCTs) to develop local interventions to promote breastfeeding, including the training of frontline staff; the provision of easily accessible and timely advice to breastfeeding mothers through the national breastfeeding helpline; the recently launched breastfeeding DVD "From bump to breastfeeding" given to all new mothers in England via their midwives and health visitors.
	Other key activities include the development of a care pathway for the frontline health professionals; the provision of commissioning guidance for PCTs; and the establishment of a regional and local network to promote breastfeeding.

Cardiovascular System: Screening

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the implementation of the vascular checks programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the mechanism is for allocating funding for the vascular checks programme to primary care trusts.

Ann Keen: Phased implementation of the programme will begin in April 2009 and on 13 November we published a "Next Steps" guide to help primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission the service. A copy has been placed in the Library. We will continue to work with our statements to provide advice and support on the implementation and delivery of the vascular checks programme.
	The funding for the vascular checks programme is included in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 PCT revenue allocations, announced on 8 December.
	Funding is allocated to PCTs on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each PCT's target share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
	The components of the formula are used to weight each PCT's 'crude' population according to their relative need (age, and additional need) for health care and the unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing health care (market forces factor).

Care Homes: Infectious Diseases

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths in care homes were attributed to each notifiable infectious disease in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Children: Health Visitors

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, Health 
	(1)  how many home visits on average a child considered to be at  (a) low risk and  (b) high risk received from an allocated health visitor in the first two years following assessment in each London borough in each year between 1997 and 3 August 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average number of cases allocated to health visitors in each London borough was between 9 September 2008 and the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the average number of cases allocated to health visitors in each London borough was in each year between 1997 and 3 August 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.

Climate Change

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of its capacity to adapt to climate change; and what plans he has to publish a climate change adaptation strategy.

Dawn Primarolo: The cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme increases Government's capacity to adapt by ensuring a co-ordinated approach across all Departments and the public sector. This includes implementation of the adaptation aspects of the Climate Change Act, such as development of the national climate risk assessment. Information about the programme can be found at
	www.defra.gov/adaptation.
	The Department of Health recognises that climate change will affect the health of UK citizens and in February, this year (2008) updated its 2001-02 report on the "Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK". A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
	Climate impacts affect many departmental responsibilities. We have worked closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to develop the adaptation sections of the Climate Change Act. There are therefore no plans at present to publish a separate climate change adaptation strategy as this would be seen as a duplication of the work that DEFRA are taking forward.
	The key areas for the national health service in adapting to climate change include adapting the health and social care infrastructure (hospitals, nursing homes) to be more resilient to the effects of heat and floods; development of local 'Heatwave' and 'Flood' plans for coping with disasters; and increasing awareness of how people can adapt to changes in climate.
	One of the effects of climate change already encountered in this country is the increased frequency of heat waves. The devastating heat wave across Europe in 2003 led to the Department of Health first launching its National Heatwave Plan in 2004, in which a 'Heat-Health Watch' system operates in England during the summer months, with advice from the Met Office, with four levels of response and appropriate advice.

Continuing Care

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each primary care trust have received continuing care in each quarter per 10,000 population  (a) since the application of the national framework for continuing care and  (b) for two years prior to the application of the national framework for continuing care; and how many people per 10,000 population met the eligibility criteria for continuing care for the first time (i) since the application of the national framework for continuing care and (ii) in the two years prior to the application of the national framework for continuing care.

Phil Hope: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Continuing Care

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were receiving continuing care in the last quarter for which figures are available, broken down by  (a) primary care trust and  (b) the length of time for which they had been receiving continuing care.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	Information on the length of time in receipt of continuing care is not collected centrally.

Departmental Procurement

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many invoices submitted to his Department in the last month for which figures are available were paid within 10 days of receipt; and how many remained unpaid after 28 days.

Ben Bradshaw: During November 2008 the Department received 14,890 invoices, of which 14,663 were paid within 10 days this equates to 98.5 per cent.
	Only 43 payments were made after 30 days and this equates to 0.29 per cent. The remaining 184 invoices (1.24 per cent.) were paid between 10 and 30 days.

Depressive Illnesses: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people diagnosed with mild or moderate depression in the London borough of Bexley in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Most people with depression are seen and treated in primary care. However, data on the number of people with individual conditions seen in primary care—such as depression—are not held centrally. While data are available on the total number of people admitted to the care of a consultant in secondary care with depression, they are likely to exclude many patients diagnosed with mild to moderate depression.

Drugs: Misuse

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trigger offences lead to drug testing as part of his Department's drug intervention programme; and whether he plans to include further offences within that definition.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	The trigger offences are set out in Schedule 6 to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. These are the offences which have been shown to have the clearest link with drug misuse, particularly the misuse of heroin and cocaine/crack and are listed.
	 Trigger offences with effect from 1 August
	 1. Offences under the following provisions of the Theft Act 1968 are trigger offences:
	section 1 (theft)
	section 8 (robbery)
	section 9 (burglary)
	section 10 (aggravated burglary)
	section 12 (taking motor vehicle or other conveyance without authority)
	section 12A (aggravated vehicle-taking)
	section 22 (handling stolen goods)(1)
	section 25 (going equipped for stealing, etc.)
	 2. Offences under the following provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 are trigger offences if committed in respect of a specified Class A drug:
	section 4 (restriction on production and supply of controlled drugs)
	section 5(2) (possession of controlled drug)
	section 5(3) (possession of controlled drug with intent to supply)
	 3. Offences under the following provisions of the Fraud Act 2006 are trigger offences( 2)
	section 1 (fraud)
	section 6 (possession etc. of articles for use in frauds)
	section 7 (making or supplying articles for use in frauds)
	 3A. An offence under section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981 is a trigger offence, if committed in respect of an offence under
	(a) any of the following provisions of the Theft Act 1968(1)
	section 1 (theft)
	section 8 (robbery)
	section 9 (burglary)
	section 22 (handling stolen goods, or
	(b) section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006 (fraud)(3)
	 4. Offences under the following provisions of the Vagrancy Act 1824 are trigger offences( 1)
	section 3 (begging)
	section 4 (persistent begging)
	(1 )Offences added to the trigger offences in Schedule 6 to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 by The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 (Amendment) Order 2004, (S.I. 2004/1892), which came into force on 27 July 2004.
	(2) Offences added by the Fraud Act 2006, which came into force on 15 January 2007
	(3) Offence added by the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 (Amendment) Order 2007 which came into force on 1 August 2007
	Drug testing of people who have been arrested or charged with a trigger offence is conducted in authorised police stations across England and Wales as part of the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP).
	Those arrested /charged with non-trigger offences may also be tested, where a police officer of at least Inspector rank has reasonable grounds to suspect that misuse of any specified Class A drug caused or contributed to the offence and authorises the taking of a sample.
	DIP regularly reviews the list of trigger offences.

Elderly: Abuse

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what procedures his Department has in place for routine scrutiny of serious case reviews in respect of elder abuse;
	(2)  which serious case reviews his Department took into account in preparing its consultation document on safeguarding vulnerable adults and the No Secrets guidance.

Phil Hope: Serious case reviews are locally commissioned and reviewed. The Department does not routinely review local serious case reviews. As part of the development of the consultation document on the review of "No Secrets", research commissioned on serious case reviews was considered: this involved 15 reports of serious case reviews. The Department commissioned and funded King's College London to undertake this research in England and Wales. A research report is expected to be published this winter.

Exercise: Children

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the National School Pedometer programme in improving children's health.

Dawn Primarolo: Following a successful pilot in 2006 in which 43 schools were followed, the National School Step-O-Meter programme (Schools on the Move) was launched in a further 250 schools, located in deprived areas, in July 2007.
	A full evaluation of the pilot year was undertaken by the London Sport Institute, Middlesex University in September 2006, which showed encouraging increases in children's activity levels. A further monitoring and evaluation study has been designed and we are expecting a full report on the initiative in December 2009.
	A copy of the evaluation report for the Schools on the Move pilot year has been placed in the Library.

Food: Labelling

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of front-of-pack food labelling designed to assist people to make healthier food choices.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency recommends that businesses use front of pack nutrition labelling based on four core principles:
	provision of information for fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt;
	red, amber or green colour coding to provide at a glance information on the level (ie whether high, medium or low) of individual nutrients in a product;
	provision of additional information on the levels of nutrients present in a portion of the product; and
	use of the nutritional criteria developed by the agency.
	This recommendation is based on a comprehensive set of consumer research data which indicated that this was the approach most likely to be helpful to consumers.
	With publication of "Healthy Weight Healthy Lives" in January 2008 (a copy of which has already been placed in the Library) the Government committed to finding a single, simple and effective approach to food labelling to be used by the whole food industry, based on the principles that will be recommended by the Food Standards Agency in light of independent research currently being undertaken. This research is evaluating the effectiveness of front of pack signpost labelling schemes currently in use in the United Kingdom market place in terms of enabling consumers to make healthier choices. The research is expected to be published in April 2009.

Headaches

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much per patient per year was spent on headache disorder research in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Health Education

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Teaching Public Health Networks in providing training opportunities.

Dawn Primarolo: The nine regional Teaching Public Health Networks (TPHNs) were established in 2006, as a commitment arising from Choosing Health. The aim of TPHNs is to establish an integrated and inclusive approach to the development of public health education across organisations and sectors, at all skill and professional levels. They have an important role in raising the awareness of public health education and training opportunities among all professional groups to help them understand how their job influences public health.
	In addition to working on local priorities to change and enhance curriculums and skills, to include consideration of public health capabilities and knowledge, the networks are also taking a lead role in reviewing public health educator capacity across academic and service sectors.
	While the primary role of the teaching public health network is not to deliver courses and provide training opportunities, many of the networks have worked on the development of short courses within their lead area.
	No formal assessment of the effectiveness of the TPHNs in providing training opportunities has been carried out to date, although the activity of the networks are formally evaluated by the Department annually. Discussions are currently ongoing to inform the next business planning cycle, including the evaluation of current initiatives such as the TPHNs.

Health Services: Voluntary Organisations

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the voluntary sector will be eligible for funding from the new strategic health authority innovation funds.

Dawn Primarolo: The new strategic health authority innovation funds are intended to be accessed by the broadest range of organisations, bodies and individuals possible, working either in the NHS or in partnership with the national health service. This will include the voluntary sector.

Health Visitors: Manpower

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors there were in each region in each year since 1997 for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The number of health visitors in each region in England in each year since 1997 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified health visitors in England by strategic health authority area  as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Headcount 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 England 12,410 12,572 12,800 12,827 13,053 12,774 12,984 13,303 12,818 2,034 11,569 
			 
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 645 658 660 692 681 668 767 762 752 706 698 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 1,899 1,911 1,903 1,896 1,942 1,968 1,988 2,105 2,077 2,029 1,897 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 1,293 1,323 1,320 1,290 1,466 1,413 1,448 1,505 1,451 1,389 1,301 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 1,025 988 1,037 1,028 1,038 1,016 988 997 967 969 925 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 1,302 1,346 1,420 1,410 1,435 1,391 1,406 1,417 1,257 1,184 1,269 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority area 1,150 1,192 1,135 1,210 1,187 1,148 1,176 1,253 1,258 1,181 1,095 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 1,876 1,965 2,052 1,968 1,999 1,763 1,822 1,836 1,760 1,702 1,613 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 990 1,037 1,073 1,077 1,045 1,102 1,042 1,091 1,001 794 778 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 1,029 947 1,011 1,025 1,002 1,064 1,115 1,036 1,020 934 856 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 1,201 1,205 1,189 1,231 1,258 1,241 1,232 1,301 1,275 1,146 1,137 
			  Note: Data Quality Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census

Health: Males

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the outcomes of Men's Health Week 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department welcomes National Men's Health Week and the awareness raising opportunities it provides. The Men's Health Forum provide an evaluation of the events each year and send their findings to the Department, along with other interested parties.

Healthy Start Scheme

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the healthy start scheme.

Dawn Primarolo: Plans are currently under way to evaluate the nutritional impact of Healthy Start. This will include an assessment of the extent to which Healthy Start provides a nutritional safety net for those vulnerable groups known to be most at risk of poor nutrition, and its ability to improve diet and increase awareness of healthy eating and the promotion of breast feeding.
	We are also refining a comprehensive suite of management information that will allow us to assess the performance in delivering the scheme, monitoring trends in demand, scheme take up, and voucher usage.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average cost to the NHS of administering a single dose of  (a) Cervarix and  (b) Gardisil.

Dawn Primarolo: The individual cost of the vaccine and hence the total cost to Government of the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) vaccination programme is commercial-in-confidence.
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) were provided with funding to implement the national programme. A list of allocations per PCT is available from the following web link, which has been placed in the Library.
	http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/publications/HPV_DSletter190608.pdf
	The cost of administering the HPV programme was estimated to be the same regardless of which vaccine was used.

Lung Diseases

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of diagnosing sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at  (a) stage one and  (b) stage two.

Ann Keen: This information is not available centrally.

Lyme's Disease

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's definition of  (a) Lyme's disease,  (b) chronic Lyme's disease and  (c) post-Lyme's syndrome is.

Dawn Primarolo: Lyme disease in people is defined as a multi-system infection with the bacterium  Borrelia burgdorferi, when, following a tick bite, infection is confirmed on the basis of either obvious clinical symptoms, such as a pink or red raised rash spreading from the site of the tick bite, or through laboratory diagnostic tests that conform to the internationally agreed testing criteria and that have the appropriate specificity and sensitivity to accurately identify the presence of  Borrelia burgdorferi.
	The term chronic Lyme disease is not defined as there is no convincing evidence for the existence of symptomatic chronic  Borrelia burgdorferi infection among patients after receipt of recommended treatment regimens for Lyme disease.
	Post-Lyme syndrome refers to a spectrum of non-specific symptoms, similar to those of chronic or post-viral fatigue syndrome, that are reported by a small percentage of patients despite apparently adequate treatment and lack of objective evidence of continued  Borrelia burgdorferi infection activity.

Lyme's Disease

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make Lyme's disease a notifiable disease.

Dawn Primarolo: There are no plans to make Lyme disease notifiable because there is already in place a robust surveillance system based upon laboratory reporting of all confirmed cases of  Borrelia burgdorferi infection.
	However, we are proposing to include meningitis associated with  Borrelia infection as a notifiable infection in the proposed new regulations to be made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2008, on which we will be consulting shortly.

Medical Treatments Abroad

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of progress towards agreement of European Union proposals in relation to patients who wish to travel to other EU member states for treatment and have their costs reimbursed.

Dawn Primarolo: The draft directive on the application of patients' rights in cross-border health care is subject to the co-decision procedure and is at an early stage of negotiations. In the European Parliament, the rapporteur has recently published a draft report. It is possible that the European Parliament could complete its first reading before the European elections. If not, it will need to undertake this in the next parliamentary session.
	Initial discussions on the draft directive on the application of patients' rights in cross-border health care have been held in the Council of the European Union working groups under the French presidency. European Union Health Ministers will discuss several issues including the draft directive on the application of patients' rights in cross-border health care at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 16 December. We will provide an update to Parliament on the outcome of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council.

Mental Health Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether mental health service users will be guaranteed a choice of hospital under the new NHS constitution.

Ann Keen: The draft constitution states that:
	'you have a right to make choices about your NHS care. The options available to you will develop over time and depend on your individual need'.
	In the Handbook to the draft constitution it states that directions will be given by the Secretary of State under section 8 of the NHS Act to require primary care trusts to ensure that patients have a right to choose their providers. Directions will specify services covered, exceptions and whether mental health service users are included. We have recently consulted on the draft constitution and the final Constitution will be published shortly.

Mental Health Services: Public Consultation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that it obtains the views of  (a) people who have experience of mental health problems and  (b) organisations that represent people who have experienced mental health problems in its consultation on the Social Care Green Paper.

Phil Hope: The Department ran a public engagement process on the future of Care and Support this year, from 12 May until 28 November, in order to gather views and comments from stakeholders, service users and members of the public to help inform the Green Paper. As part of our work to ensure the engagement process was inclusive, people living with mental health problems were targeted, together with those organisations that represent them. In addition, one-to-one interviews with users of mental health services and organisations that represent them have been carried out by Ipsos-MORI and the Central Office of Information as part of the engagement process.

NHS: Billing

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all NHS trusts purchasing supplies and equipment under central NHS contracts pay invoices within 10 days of receipt.

Ben Bradshaw: David Nicholson, NHS Chief Executive, wrote to all NHS Trust Chief Executives on 21 October asking them to examine and review existing payment practices and payment performance and to move as closely as possible to the 10-day payment commitment that has been set for Government Departments wherever practical. This would include cases in which trusts pay suppliers directly through contracts that have been centrally negotiated.

Organophosphates

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported cases of ill health have been attributed to long-term exposure to organophosphates in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: There have been no confirmed cases of ill health with long-term chronic exposure to organophosphates identified through the available reporting systems where such symptoms have been attributed to long-term exposure to organophosphates. The available reporting systems are primarily related to reporting on acute rather than chronic adverse effects.

Organophosphates

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported cases there have been of people suffering from  (a) excessive fatigue,  (b) sensory disturbance,  (c) disturbance of higher cerebral functions,  (d) loss of cognitive functions and  (e) memory loss where such symptoms have been attributed to long-term exposure to organophosphates in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: There have been no confirmed cases with excessive fatigue, sensory disturbance, disturbance of higher cerebral functions, loss of cognitive functions nor memory loss identified through the available reporting systems where such symptoms have been attributed to long-term exposure to organophosphates. The available reporting system are primarily related to the reporting of acute rather than chronic adverse effects.

Patients: Death

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths have resulted from patient safety incidents in each year since 1997-98 for which figures are available, broken down by type of incident.

Ann Keen: The table includes the numbers of patient safety incidents associated with the death of a patient that were submitted to the National Patient Safety Agency's Reporting and Learning System each year for the period from the 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2008 broken down by type of incident.
	Information about the number of patient safety incidents associated with the death prior to that date is not included because of the low number of incidents submitted to the Reporting and Learning System (RLS) and the reliability of the information available.
	The total number of reported deaths in each financial year represent 0.4 per cent. of all patient safety incidents reported in that year.
	
		
			  Incidents submitted to the RLS as of 1 December 2008—where the date the incident occurred was between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2008, broken down by incident type 
			   Financial year  (April—March) 
			  Incident type  2005  2006  2007 
			 Access, admission, transfer, discharge (including missing patient) 111 158 135 
			 Clinical assessment (including diagnosis, scans, tests, assessments) 109 157 156 
			 Consent, communication, confidentiality 50 51 41 
			 Disruptive, aggressive behaviour 12 14 18 
			 Documentation (including records, identification) 11 10 14 
			 Infection Control Incident 18 150 309 
			 Implementation of care and ongoing monitoring/review 55 75 115 
			 Infrastructure (including staffing, facilities, environment) 38 48 40 
			 Medical device/equipment 32 33 40 
			 Medication 37 50 54 
			 Patient abuse (by staff/third party) 5 12 22 
			 Patient accident 100 133 171 
			 Self-harming behaviour 419 498 487 
			 Treatment, procedure 237 302 385 
			 Other 1,041 1,503 1,658 
			 Total 2,275 3,194 3,645 
		
	
	
		
			  Incidents submitted to the RLS as of 1 December 2008—where the date the incident occurred was between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2008 by financial year (April—March): reported deaths as a proportion of all incidents occurring over the same time period 
			   Financial year  (April—March) 
			  Incident type  2005  2006  2007 
			 Deaths 2,275 3,194 3,645 
			 All incident types 596,138 767,324 892,947 
			 Percentage of incident types  reported as deaths 0.4 0.4 0.4

Pharmacy

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the development of specialist accreditation frameworks for pharmacists; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Near final versions of the specialist frameworks for practitioners with special interests, including pharmacists, were launched at a conference in London on 17 September 2008. We will be formally issuing the frameworks in their final form in the near future via NHS Primary Care Contracting.

Respite Care

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the £150 million spending for respite care announced in the carers strategy will be disbursed; to whom; and according to what formula.

Phil Hope: The £150 million funding announced in the Carer's Strategy is included in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 primary care trust (PCT) revenue allocations, announced 8 December. This money will go to all PCTs and will support all carers. These resources are referred to in the NHS Operating Framework for 2009-10. A copy of the framework has been placed in the Library.
	Funding is allocated to PCTs on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each PCTs target share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
	The components of the formula are used to weight each PCTs "crude" population according to their relative need (age, and additional need) for health care and the unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing health care (market forces factor).

Smoking

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the prevalence of smoking.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement issued on 9 December 2008,  Official Report, column 46WS by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

Social Services: Public Consultation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he will publish responses to his Department's consultation on the Social Care Green Paper;
	(2)  how many responses his Department received to its recent consultation on the Social Care Green Paper.

Phil Hope: The Department ran a public engagement process on the future of Care and Support this year, from 12 May until 28 November, in order to gather views and comments from stakeholders, service users and members of the public to help inform the Green Paper. The engagement activity included deliberative events with stakeholder organisations and with citizens. People were able to send in their views and comments via a dedicated website, by email or by post. Materials were also available for stakeholder organisations to run discussions within their own networks. We are in the process of analysing the responses and plan to publish a report of the responses received alongside the Green Paper.
	Over 1,000 people attended the deliberative events run by the Department. We also received over 1,600 responses via the website, by email and by letter. Some of these responses summarise discussions with groups of people, or the results of surveys or petitions carried out by organisations as part of the engagement. Some of those responding via website did so more than once.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Borders: Security

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost of establishing a permanent security presence on duty at all times at all ports of entry to the UK.

Vernon Coaker: No such estimate is available.

Confiscation Orders: Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value of property and possessions seized by the Assets Recovery Agency from residents of Northern Ireland convicted of drug dealing offences was in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) did not carry out any criminal confiscation investigations in Northern Ireland linked to drug dealing offences. ARA's civil recovery investigations were focused against property suspected of being the proceeds of crime and did not require a direct link to individuals with criminal convictions. ARA did not hold information on whether individuals connected to such property were convicted of, or alleged to be involved in, drug dealing.

Control Orders

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance individuals subject to control orders receive with their living costs.

Vernon Coaker: Individuals subject to control orders are not routinely prevented from taking employment or from receiving state benefits, including where appropriate job seekers allowance, housing benefit and asylum support. However if the terms of a control order prevent an individual gaining employment or render him ineligible for other benefits the Home Office will make necessary subsistence payments.
	If an individual subject to a control order is required to move from their current residence, the Home Office may provide suitable alternative accommodation and pay council tax and utility costs.
	In some circumstances the Home Office may pay the line rental for a telephone and/or provide pre-paid telephone cards. This may be appropriate where a controlled person is prohibited by the terms of the control order from using telephones outside his residence and/or using mobile telephones.
	All control order obligations are tailored to the individual concerned and in each case must be necessary and proportionate for purposes connected with preventing or restricting involvement by that individual in terrorism-related activity.

Control Orders

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals currently subject to control orders have previous convictions for terrorism-related offences.

Vernon Coaker: The Secretary of State reports to Parliament on the exercise of her powers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. The last such statement was laid on 15 September 2008; the next statement is due shortly. These statements give as much information as we can provide about individuals subject to control orders given the national security sensitivities of these cases and the need to avoid publishing any information that could lead to the identification of an individual who is subject to an anonymity order.

Crime: Intellectual Property

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she gave to including intellectual property crime in the National Community Safety Plan for 2008 to 2011; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The National Community Safety Plan (NCSP) was revised in December 2007 to communicate how the vision and objectives set out in our national crime strategy ("Cutting Crime: A New Partnership 2008-2011") have been embodied in the current cross-cutting PSA framework. Both documents now give local partners a greater flexibility in setting their crime priorities, in accordance with local needs and in consultation across the local community.
	Both the crime strategy and the NCSP cover organised crime, which includes some intellectual property crime. More widely, recent legislation introduced by the Home Office, including new asset recovery powers and the Serious Crime Act 2007, provide important tools in tackling intellectual property crime. The UK Intellectual Property Office has lead responsibility for the Government's national strategy on intellectual property crime and produces regular enforcement reports.

Emergency Calls

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures govern telephone operators listening to silent emergency calls; and for how long operators are advised to listen to such calls.

Vernon Coaker: Communication providers (CPs), contracted call handling agents and the emergency authorities have responsibilities which are outlined in the code of practice for the Public Emergency Call Service (PECS). PECS is intended to deal with the method of handling '999/112' public emergency telephone calls between the call handling agents (CHAs) and the emergency authorities (EAs) in the United Kingdom (Police, Fire, Ambulance and Coastguard). All CPs have obligations under the Communications Act 2003.
	Section 4.6 of the PECS Code of Practice covers 'Calls without service request'. This relates to silent calls. It states that:
	"There are many calls to 999/112 where a caller does not actually request an EA. In the overwhelming majority of cases these are children playing or customer misdials, but there is always a possibility of it being a genuine caller who cannot speak Very large numbers of accidental 999/112 calls are received from mobile phones.
	CHA Emergency Operators (CHA EO) try to obtain a response by asking the normal questions—for example "which service is required", and "if you cannot speak but need help please tap the handset screen." In cases where nothing apart from general noise (no speech) is heard, or where the voice link is terminated during CHA questioning (perhaps with background speech or noise), it is recognised that there is a negligible chance that it is genuine and the CHA EO can end the call.
	Where there is no response, the voice channel remains open and background voices are present it is recognised that the CHA cannot decide whether an EA is needed. In this case the call is connected to a police voice response system hosted by the Metropolitan Police Service which asks caller to press '5' twice if help is required. If 55 is pressed then immediate connection with the appropriate police authority is made. For any cases where suspicious noises are heard the CHA can override the above procedures and connect to a police EACR".
	While the Home Office has oversight of the police service's handling of 999/112 calls, Other Government Departments are responsible for the 999/112 call handling standards of the other emergency services.

Identity Cards: Foreigners

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances A2 nationals will be required to possess the new identity card for foreign nationals.

Meg Hillier: Nationals of Bulgaria and Romania (A2 nationals) are citizens of European Economic Area (EEA) members and not subject to immigration control. Therefore, we cannot require them to apply for an identity card for foreign nationals.

Police: Electric Vehicles

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the results of trials of use by police of personal transporters on public highways in Sutton; what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of such transporters to neighbourhood policy; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: It is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police to decide what equipment shall be available to their officers. They will wish to ensure that any particular item is fit for purpose, practical and safe in operation, compliant in itself and in its potential uses with all relevant legislation, and that its purchase and deployment represents a proper and effective use of resources.

Police: Secondment

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are  (a) seconded to overseas missions, governments or organisations and  (b) otherwise serving abroad.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Police: Stun Guns

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when the majority of police forces in England and Wales will be equipped with Taser stun guns;
	(2)  what officers are  (a) currently and  (b) proposed to be permitted to use Taser stun guns in police forces in England and Wales;
	(3)  what the cost is expected to be of supplying Taser stun guns to police forces in England and Wales.

Vernon Coaker: In 2004, following a trial in five forces, the then Home Secretary agreed that chief officers of all police forces in England and Wales could make Taser available to authorised firearms officers as a less lethal option for use in situations where a firearms authority had been granted in accordance with criteria laid down in the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms.
	The Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) announced on 19 July 2007 that authorised police firearms officers in England and Wales would be able to use Taser in a wider set of circumstances. These officers are now able to deploy Taser in operations or incidents where the use of firearms is not authorised, but where they are facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that they would need to use force to protect the public, themselves or the subject.
	Following the success of a 12 month trial in ten police forces, the Home Secretary agreed on 24 November 2008 to allow Chief Officers of all forces in England and Wales, from 1 December 2008, to extend the use of Taser to specially trained units in accordance with current Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) policy and guidance. This sets out that Taser can only be used by specially trained units where officers would be facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that they would need to use force to protect the public, themselves and/or the subject(s).
	The cost of supplying Tasers to all forces in England and Wales is dependent on the operational decisions of Chief Officers on deployment of Taser. The Home Secretary announced on 24 November 2008 that the Home Office would be making available a one-off injection of funding to support the purchase of up to 10,000 Tasers for use by police forces in England and Wales.

Police: Training

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people accepted on the Higher Potential Scheme in each of the last five years were  (a) women,  (b) black and minority ethnic and  (c) disabled.

Vernon Coaker: The Police High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS) was introduced in 2002. It was revised and relaunched in 2008.
	Disability data were not recorded until 2006/07. The following table provides data on the number and proportion of people accepted onto the HPDS in each of the last five years. Information on the first year of the HPDS is also provided.
	
		
			  Breakdown of successful HPDS candidates by sex, ethnicity and disability 
			   Total  Male  Female  NR( 1)  BME( 2)  White  NR( 1)  Disability  NR( 1) 
			  Original HPDS  
			  2002-03  
			 Number 57 48 9 0 0 56 1   
			 Percentage  84.2 15.8   98.2 1.8   
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Number 58 44 14 0 3 55 0   
			 Percentage  75.9 24.1  5.2 94.8
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Number 30 16 14 0 2 28 0   
			 Percentage  53.3 46.6  6.6 93.3
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Number 30 15 15 0 2 28 0   
			 Percentage  50.0 50.0  6.6 93.3
			  2006-07  
			 Number 44 27 17 0 1 33 10 1 0 
			 Percentage  61.4 38.6  2.3 75.0 22.7 2.3  
			   
			  Revised HPDS  
			  2007-08  
			 Number 84 57 22 5 5 74 5 3 6 
			 Percentage  67.9 26.2 6.0 6.0 88.1 6.0 3.6 7.1 
			 (1) NR = data not recorded or listed as prefer not to say. (2) BME = Black, Minority, or Ethnic minority background.

Terrorism: Convictions

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted of each type of terrorist offence in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: We are currently unable to provide the information requested.
	The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data relating to those arrested, charged, convicted and imprisoned under terrorist legislation and under other legislation but considered terrorist related. As soon as this is complete a Statistical Bulletin covering this information will be published by the Home Office.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Brussels

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many visits to Brussels were made by staff of her Department in 2007-08; and what the total cost of such visits was.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1127W.

Charities: Finance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to which charities her Department has supplied funding of 100,000 or more in each of the last three years; and how much was given to each charity.

Sadiq Khan: Table A sets out the grants given to voluntary non-profit making organisations concerned with homelessness or matters relating to homelessness under section 180 Housing Act 1996. Table B sets out other grants paid by the Department to non-profit bodies.
	This may not be a complete list. A complete list could be made available only at a disproportionate cost.
	We are currently taking forward a request from the Office of the Third Sector about spending on their sector by the Department and its agencies for 2006-08 which is due to be completed by the end of December.
	
		
			  Table A 
			  000 
			  Organisation  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Aspire 230 230 435 895 
			 Broadway 489 530 545 1,564 
			 Business in the Community 400 500 500 1,400 
			 Centre Point 559 497 836 1,892 
			 Citizens Advice 470 733 585 1,788 
			 City Roads (Odyssey) 109 109  218 
			 Connection 110   110 
			 Connection @ St. Martins 821 821 840 2,482 
			 Crisis 270  155 425 
			 East Thames Group 942 1,259 697 2,898 
			 Emmaus 146 651 1,020 1,817 
			 Equinox 272 272 272 816 
			 Foyer Federation 400   400 
			 Galleries 2 project 250   250 
			 Homeless link 1,296 1,153 1,690 4,139 
			 House of St. Barnabas 125 106  231 
			 Look Ahead 2,006 4,115 2,110 8,231 
			 M25 Group 200   200 
			 Mosaic 764 764 785 2,313 
			 Reading YMCA 165   165 
			 Refuge 165   165 
			 Resource Information Service 2,925 219 237 3,381 
			 Shelter 2,181 2,090 1,802 6,073 
			 St. Christopher 100   100 
			 St. Mungo's 2,742 3,698 2,935 9,375 
			 Thames Reach Bondway 1,576 1,465 1,660 4,701 
			 Training for Life 300 759  1,059. 
			 Women's Aid 310 150 100 560 
			 Byker Bridge Housing Association  500  500 
			 Change up funding  615  615 
			 Crime Reduction Initiative  120  120 
			 Northern Network  197 199 396 
			 Off the Street and into Work  709 715 1,424 
			 Panahghar  110 146 256 
			 Relate  125 125 250 
			 Working Future Project  1,259  1,259 
			 Chartered Institute of Housing   500 500 
			 Construction Youth Trust   135 135 
			 Derbyshire Housing Aid   114 114 
			 Housing Association Charitable Trust   220 220 
			 Cranstoun Drug Services   120 120 
			 TREES Group   240 240 
			 SITRA   338 338 
			 YMCA Birkenhead  300  300 
			 YMCA England  155 382 537 
			 Tyneside Cyrenians   107 107 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B 
			  Organisation  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Burnley Pendle and Rossendale CVS 134   134 
			 Business in the Community   130 130 
			 Civic Trust  706 775 1,481 
			 Community Foundation for Merseyside 148   148 
			 Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) 1,264   1,264 
			 County Durham Foundation 197   197 
			 First Step Trust 742 558 100 1,400 
			 Groundwork UK 3,698 5,332 10,298 19,328 
			 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley CVS 114   114 
			 Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency 165   165 
			 Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Service 381   381 
			 Pendle Community Network Ltd. 101   101 
			 Penwith Community Development Trust 130   130 
			 Scarman Trust 150   150 
			 Sefton Council for Voluntary Service 165   165 
			 St. Helens District CVS Ltd. 152   152 
			 Tameside Third Sector Coalition Ltd. 102   102 
			 Voluntary Action 1,460   1,460 
			 West Cumbria CVS 107   107 
			 Thames GatewayGroundwork UK 950   950 
			 Wirral CVS 299   299

Community Development: English Language

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's policy is, with reference to its policies on community cohesion, on encouraging those who have settled in the UK in the last 30 years to learn English.

Sadiq Khan: The Government believe that the ability to speak and write English is vital to integrating into British society and to improving equality of opportunity. Language skills help people get on in the workplace and make a contribution to their local community. Migrants who have a good level of English are employed at a higher level, are able to work safely and confidently in their jobs, find it easier to integrate into society; and are aware of the unwritten rules of behaviour. We are therefore promoting the learning of English through the immigration and citizenship process and the provision of English language classes.
	Government have taken the following steps to encourage immigrants to learn English:
	In December 2007, we published Guidance on Translation for local authorities. The guidance spreads existing good practice, which ensures that translation is only provided where it is necessary and acts as a stepping stone to speaking English.
	The Home Office Green Paper on citizenship (published 20 February 2008) considers that it is right to allow ESOL further education courses at the 'home rate' in order that migrants can acquire key skills needed for good community cohesion.
	Funding changes for ESOL provision were introduced last August to improve accessibility for the most vulnerable learners, with those who can afford to pay for English classes currently contributing up to 37.5 per cent.
	In October 2007 DIUS launched a new suite of ESOL for work qualifications. The new qualifications are shorter and more work-focused than traditional ESOL qualifications, giving learners practical English skills in essential workplace matters, such as health and safety and customer service. These provide more flexibility and choice for employers, agencies and learners. Employers should share responsibility for supporting employees with ESOL needs.
	The DIUS consultation on ESOL earlier this year set out an approach to ESOL funding centred on integration and community cohesion outcomes, and placing the assessment of need at a local level. DIUS are currently developing more detailed proposals for future ESOL funding on the basis of the consultation response.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 336-7W, on Government departments: information and communications technology, which IP addresses are used by  (a) her Department and  (b) computers in the offices of (i) Ministers, (ii) communications officials and (iii) special advisers.

Sadiq Khan: To help defend against electronic attack, it is standard good information security practice for corporate IT systems, not to publish internal IP addresses. When accessing internet websites, the IP addresses of all of the computers on Communities and Local Government's internal office IT system are hidden behind the following IP addresses which are publicly available195.92.40.49 and 62.25.106.209. These IP addresses are shared with other Government Departments that use the Government Secure Intranet.

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many individuals have worked in her Department on  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid work experience or internships in each of the last three years; on average how many hours a week were worked by such people in each year; what types of work each was involved in; what proportion were in full-time education; what proportion did not complete their set period of work experience; and how much those who received remuneration were paid on average per week in each year.

Sadiq Khan: 28 individuals have worked in the Department for Communities and Local Government on paid summer placements over the past three years. Individuals on summer placements are a mixture of undergraduates and recent graduates and work in a variety of posts across the Department. They are contracted to work 36 hours per week and are placed on the minimum executive officer salary, currently 24,461, which is paid pro rata for the duration of the placement. Of the 10 individuals who joined the Department in summer 2008 two did not complete their placements.
	The Department does not keep a central record of how many individuals have undertaken unpaid work experience as this information is held locally by divisions.

Eco-Towns

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on what contribution she expects to be made to the delivery of the eco-towns programme by the Environmental and Sustainability Standard 2008 issued by the Building Research Establishment.

Iain Wright: We have set out the high standards that eco-towns must meet in the draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS), which was published on 4 November 2008.
	We are currently consulting on the draft PPS and want to hear views about whether these are the right standards. The BRE's standard is an issue that we would expect might be raised as part of this consultation, and which we would then consider in our analysis of the consultation responses before finalising the PPS.

Elevate East Lancashire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has with regard to future funding of the Elevate East Lancashire housing renewal area; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Future allocations to 2010-11 for housing market renewal areas, including Elevate East Lancashire, were announced in the House on 28 February 2008. These amounts are currently indicative and may change by up to plus or minus 10 per cent. We hope to announce final allocations shortly.

Fire Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what cost estimate her Department based its plans for the administration of each regional fire control centre between the date to which it became operational and the date on which the last Fire and Rescue Authority is expected to cut over to a regional control centre.

Sadiq Khan: As individual Fire and Rescue Services cut over to the Regional Control Centre they will pay their relative proportion of the total running cost, with the Department financing the remaining share until all FRSs within a region have cut over. It is for the FRAs within a region to collectively agree what their relative proportions will be.
	The steady state total running cost estimates for the Regional Control Centres are currently those included in the FiReControl Business Case Part 1: the Regional Cases published in July 2008 and summarised in the following table.
	
		
			  Region  Forecast RCC running cost (000 pa) 
			 EE 7,373 
			 EM 6,262 
			 Lon 10,898 
			 NE 5,405 
			 NW 8,426 
			 SE 8,767 
			 SW 6,992 
			 WM 7,457 
			 YH 7.124 
			 EM 6,262 
		
	
	Copies of the Business Case Part 1 and 2 are available in the House Library or at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/fire/resilienceresponse/firecontrol/businesscase/

Fire Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  on what date each fire and rescue authority is expected to cut over to its regional control centre, broken down by  (a) brigade and  (b) region;
	(2)  what contingency plans she has put in place for fire and rescue services to respond to the potential terrorist threat to the 2012 Olympic Games, in the event that not all fire and rescue authorities cut over to regional control centres by 2012.

Sadiq Khan: On 26 November 2008 I announced a rescheduling of the FiReControl cut over timetable. We have shared an indicative timetable with the Fire and Rescue Services and are validating the revised dates with them directly. The draft timetable, broken down by region and Fire and Rescue Service, is:
	
		
			  Provisional revised FRS cutover timetable for FiReControl  (November 2008) 
			  FRS (by Region)  Provisional revised date( 1) 
			  South West Region  
			 Somerset July 2010 
			 Devon July 2010 
			 Dorset October 2010 
			 Avon November 2010 
			 Cornwall June 2011 
			 Wiltshire August 2011 
			 Gloucestershire October 2011 
			  East Midlands Region  
			 Derbyshire July 2010 
			 Leicestershire October 2010 
			 Nottinghamshire November 2010 
			 Lincolnshire February 2011 
			 Northamptonshire February 2011 
			 North East Region  
			 Tyne and Wear July 2010 
			 Durham and Darlington October 2010 
			 Cleveland November 2010 
			 Northumberland November 2010 
			  West Midlands Region  
			 Staffordshire October 2010 
			 West Midlands FRS November 2010 
			 Shropshire February 2011 
			 Warwickshire June 2011 
			 Hereford and Worcester June 2011 
			  South East Region  
			 Hampshire February 2011 
			 West Sussex June 2010 
			 Royal Berkshire August 2011 
			 Oxfordshire October 2011 
			 Kent October 2011 
			 East Sussex December 2011 
			 Buckinghamshire December 2011 
			 Isle of Wight February 2012 
			 Surrey February 2012 
			  North West Region  
			 Greater Manchester February 2011 
			 Merseyside June 2011 
			 Cumbria August 2011 
			 Cheshire August 2011 
			 Lancashire August 2011 
			  Yorkshire and Humberside Region  
			 West Yorkshire August 2011 
			 South Yorkshire October 2011 
			 North Yorkshire December 2011 
			 Humberside February 2012 
			  East of England Region  
			 Cambridgeshire October 2011 
			 Essex December 2011 
			 Bedfordshire December 2011 
			 Suffolk December 2011 
			 Norfolk February 2012 
			 Hertfordshire February 2012 
			 London  
			 London February 2011 
			 (1) As with any project of this nature, we will only have certainty about the timing of these later stages of the project once earlier stages have been completed successfully. We will be communicating progress on this directly with our stakeholders. 
		
	
	As a consequence of this rescheduling the London cutover moves forward relative to other regions with the entire network due to be in place by February 2012, under current planning assumptions. We will continue to work closely with the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to review preparations.
	The Home Office is leading work with other Government Departments, the Police and emergency services to develop the Safety and Security plan for the 2012 Games. The DCLG is working closely with the Fire and Rescue Service and other stakeholders on planning and coordination requirements as part of this process.

Fire Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable will be for her Department's proposed expenditure analysis review of fire and rescue services.

Sadiq Khan: The Government are currently reviewing the fire and rescue relative needs formula used in the Formula Grant distribution system. Options arising from this review will be consulted upon in summer 2010, with any changes implemented for the next three year settlement (i.e. from 2011-12).

FireBuy

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether her Department plans to continue the revenue funding of FireBuy's strategic procurement role; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will review the governance arrangement in FireBuy as part of her response to the outcomes of the consultation on the National Procurement Strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: Views on the future funding, governance and delivery of the national procurement function, currently provided by Firebuy Ltd., were sought as part of the consultation on the National Procurement Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service 2008-11. Responses to the consultation are currently being considered and we hope to make an announcement by the end of January.

Homelessness: Yorkshire and the Humber

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in local authorities had been accepted as owed a main homelessness duty between 1997-98 and 2007-08 in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) the Vale of York.

Iain Wright: Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Districts within North Yorkshire are Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby. In addition, information is provided for the unitary authority of York. Information is not collected at constituency level, and the Vale of York constituency lies within Hambleton, Harrogate and York.
	Data collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	A summary table which includes the total number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty in each year between 1997-98 and 2007-08, for each local authority is available in the Library. An extract showing data for the local authorities within North Yorkshire is given as follows:
	
		
			  Number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty during the year, 1997-98  to  2007-08 
			  Local authority  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Craven43 27  42 29 23 27 30 
			 Hambleton 26 24 18 50 65 101 103 100 79 76 65 
			 Harrogate 127 155 153 200 225 238 263 313 142 140 135 
			 Richmondshire 39  20 45 62 134 113 131  76 106 
			 Ryedale 24 31 32 26 38 47 51 64 61 38 36 
			 Scarborough 185 218 185 223 237 234 304 293 208 200 157 
			 Selby 94 77 59 62 95 151 144  96 94 76 
			 York 280  282 499 418 409 460 424 414 213 258 
			 '' Denotes data not reported.  Source: CLG P1E Homelessness returns (quarterly)

Housing: Construction

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the level of new house building in 2009-10 in housing renewal areas; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The projected output for Housing Market Renewal funded new build housing in those areas is approximately 1,500 for 2008-09, the latest year for which estimates are available.

Housing: Construction

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new houses have been built in  (a) England,  (b) the East of England,  (c) Cambridgeshire and  (d) Peterborough in each of the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of annual house building completions in each of the last 10 years for England, the East of England, Cambridgeshire county council and Peterborough.
	
		
			   England  East of England  Cambridgeshire  Peterborough 
			 1998-99 140,260 18,950 2,260  
			 1999-2000 141,800 18,770 2,270  
			 2000-01 133,260 16,030 1,970  
			 2001-02 129,870 15,620 2,150  
			 2002-03 137,740 17,840 2,490 511 
			 2003-04 143,960 18,400 2,610 696 
			 2004-05 155,890 19,890 2,750 824 
			 2005-06 163,400 20,250 2,580 884 
			 2006-07 167,680 22,560 3,200 1,211 
			 2007-08 166,990 22,230 3,210 929 
			  Source: New build completions from P2 monthly and quarterly returns submitted by local authorities and the National House-Building Council to CLG. 
		
	
	Figures for Peterborough are as reported by local authorities and the National House-Building Council (NHBC). For 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 Peterborough submitted no P2 returns; no estimates have been presented in these years as presenting NHBC information only would under-report the true level of house building completions in the local authority.
	Figures for England, the East of England and Cambridgeshire include estimates for missing LA returns.

Housing: Standards

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many energy efficiency measures have been installed under the Decent Homes programme in each  (a) Government office region,  (b) local authority area and  (c) constituency in England in each year since the programme's inception.

Iain Wright: The Department holds figures on capital works to windows (double-glazing), central heating and insulation for all local authority social sector dwellings. This information is collected and published through the annual Local Authority Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) returns. A set of tables containing information for the last seven years (2000-01 to 2006-07) by local authority and region has been placed in the House Libraries. Data are not collected at a constituency level.
	Since 2001, many local authorities have chosen to transfer their entire social stock to registered social landlords through the option of large scale voluntary transfer (LSVT). The table reflects the increasing occurrence of these changes over the seven-year period as data are only collected from authorities which own their own stock or have set up an arm's length management organisation to manage their stock.
	The Tenant Services Authority, the regulator of all housing associations in England, does not hold any information on energy efficiency measures put in place under the Decent Homes programme by housing associations.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date she expects rate demands to be issued to port businesses for rates due from 2005; what the Valuation Office Agency's latest assessment of rateable values of port businesses is; when she expects rebates to be paid to port owners for rates overpaid since 2005; and what estimate she has made of the overall value of such rebates.

John Healey: The responsibility for rates bills, issuing demands and rebates lies with the billing authority concerned.
	The following table shows the changes to rateable value in ports that the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and I submitted to the Treasury Committee on 5 November 2008. It is the most up-to-date table currently available.
	We cannot estimate the value of rebates as we do not know how much transitional relief each organisation might have received on their rates bills following the 2005 revaluation. Rebates depend upon the amount originally liable, the amount paid after transitional relief, and the amount now liable (with any transitional relief due on that sum).
	
		
			  Table submitted to the Treasury Select Committee on 5 November 2008 
			Pre Review (1 April 2005) 
			  Port  Group  Port RV (URT) ()  Non Port RV ()  Total RV ()  N umber  of  heredita ments 
			 Barrow North West 580,000 641,005 1,221,005 56 
			 Blyth Newcastle 130,000 329,102 459,102 39 
			 Boston East Midlands 125,000 233,755 358,755 7 
			 Bristol Western 5,250,000 15,791,740 21,041,740 109 
			 Dover South East 2,670,000 1,314,515 3,984,515 53 
			 Falmouth South West 130,000 569,375 699,375 21 
			 Felixstowe East Anglia 14,187,000 3,804,585 17,991,585 164 
			 Fleetwood North West 310,000 324,080 634,080 40 
			 Folkestone South East 110,000 23,675 133,675 6 
			 Garston Liverpool 90,000 163,000 253,000 12 
			 Goole Sheffield 940,000 77,891 1,017,891 6 
			 Great Yarmouth East Anglia 400,000 345,485 745,485 28 
			 Grimsby Sheffield 1,350,000 3,884,531 5,234,531 256 
			 Harwich Dock East Anglia 125,000 0 125,000 1 
			 Harwich International East Anglia 4,140,000 1,052,150 5,192,150 20 
			 Heysham North West 1,050,000 6,400 1,056,400 2 
			 Hull Sheffield 9,000,000 2,944,075 11,944,075 75 
			 Humber Sea Terminal Sheffield 
			 Immingham Sheffield 17,930,000 2,653,050 20,583,050 40 
			 Ipswich East Anglia 580,000 1,207,640 1,787,640 64 
			 King's Lynn East Anglia 185,000 575,750 760,750 15 
			 Liverpool Liverpool 16,500,000 3,697,650 20,197,650 43 
			 Lowestoft East Anglia 150,000 853,250 1,003,250 30 
			 Manchester Ship Canal Liverpool 1,400,000 0 1,400,000 1 
			 Newhaven South East 75,000 0 75,000 1 
			 Plymouth Cattedown South West 91,000 184,000 275,000 2 
			 Plymouth Millbay South West 150,000
			 Poole South West 425,000
			 Port of London East Anglia 200,000 0 200,000 1 
			 Portsmouth Wessex 5,400,000 1,828,965 7,228,965 60 
			 Ramsgate South East 97,500
			 SCT Wessex 9,650,000 0 9,650,000 1 
			 Seaham Newcastle 200,000 122,500 322,500 3 
			 Sharpness Western 170,000 0 170,000 1 
			 Sheerness South East 9,070,000 1,397,690 10,467,690 44 
			 Shoreham South East 100,000 888,975 988,975 17 
			 Southampton Wessex 9,400,000 11,865,270 21,265,270 113 
			 Sunderland Newcastle 95,000 1,093,650 1,188,650 15 
			 TCS East Anglia 3,400,000 0 3,400,000 1 
			 Teesport Newcastle 5,500,000 3,259,050 8,759,050 57 
			 Teignmouth South West 550,000 0 550,000 1 
			 Thamesport South East 2,475,000 393,500 2,868,500 5 
			 Tilbury East Anglia 2,725,000 5,149,825 7,874,825 95 
			 Tyne Newcastle 900,000 3,031,300 3,931,300 49 
			 Workington North West 95,000 169,355 264,355 4 
			 Summary for England  128,100,500 69,876,784 197,304,784 1,558 
			 Change in England  
			   
			 Barry South Wales 135,000 1,597,015 1,732,015 92 
			 Cardiff South Wales 325,000 1,527,850 1,852,850 34 
			 Fishguard South Wales 1,600,000 72,900 1,672,900 9 
			 Holyhead North Wales 4,000,000 45,115 4,045,115 16 
			 Milford Dock Company South Wales 115,000 440,510 555,510 61 
			 Milford Haven Port Authority South Wales 530,000
			 Mostyn North Wales 87,500 437,500 525,000 3 
			 Newport South Wales 1,850,000 1,449,775 3,299,775 25 
			 Port Talbot South Wales 150,000 16,543,350 16,693,350 23 
			 Swansea South Wales 310,000 258,575 568,575 14 
			 Summary for Wales  9,102,500 22,372,590 30,945,090 277 
			   
			 Totals (excl. Milford Haven, Ramsgate, Poole and Plymouth Millbay)  136,000,500 92,249,374 228,249,874 1,835 
			   
			 Change England plus Wales  2005 2006 2007  
		
	
	
		
			Post Review (1 April 2005)  Cumulative Change 
			  Port  Group  Port  RV (URT) ()  Non Port RV ()  Total RV ()  Number of hereditaments  RV (+/-)()  Number  of heredita ments (+/-) 
			 Barrow North West 575,000 643,555 1,218,555 57 -2,450 1 
			 Blyth Newcastle 100,000 386,062 486,062 52 26,960 13 
			 Boston East Midlands 125,000 333,625 458,625 20 99,870 13 
			 Bristol Western 2,635,000 15,816,760 18,451,760 114 -2,589,980 5 
			 Dover South East 2,670,000 2,104,316 4,774,316 118 789,801 65 
			 Falmouth South West 130,000 586,825 716,825 22 17,450 1 
			 Felixstowe East Anglia 14,187,000 4,077,885 18,264,885 172 273,300 8 
			 Fleetwood North West 245,000 325,680 570,680 41 -63,400 1 
			 Folkestone South East 25,000 111,625 136,625 11 2,950 5 
			 Garston Liverpool 82,500 978,050 1,060,550 20 807,550 8 
			 Goole Sheffield 205,000 2,960,095 3,165,095 32 2,147,204 26 
			 Great Yarmouth East Anglia 400,000 425,985 825,985 32 80,500 4 
			 Grimsby Sheffield 500,000 6,064,881 6,564,881 271 1,330,350 15 
			 Harwich Dock East Anglia 150,000 4,425 154,425 3 29,425 2 
			 Harwich International East Anglia 2,125,000 2,317,975 4,442,975 24 -749,175 4 
			 Heysham North West 1,050,000 687,340 1,737,340 13 680,940 11 
			 Hull Sheffield 3,100,000 14,264,685 17,364,685 114 5,420,610 39 
			 Humber Sea Terminal Sheffield   
			 Immingham Sheffield 11,000,000 11,534,115 22,534,115 75 1,951,065 35 
			 Ipswich East Anglia 512,500 1,743,980 2,256,480 74 468,840 10 
			 King's Lynn East Anglia 175,000 686,000 861,000 24 100,250 9 
			 Liverpool Liverpool 6,800,000 16,969,760 23,769,760 127 3,572,110 84 
			 Lowestoft East Anglia 150,000 926,510 1,076,510 36 73,260 6 
			 Manchester Ship Canal Liverpool 1,400,000 0 1,400,000 1 0 0 
			 Newhaven South East 75,000 0 75,000 1 0 0 
			 Plymouth Cattedown South West 91,000 184,000 275,000 2 0 0 
			 Plymouth Millbay South West   
			 Poole South West   
			 Port of London East Anglia 200,000 0 200,000 1 0 0 
			 Portsmouth Wessex 5,400,000 1,839,575 7,239,575 65 10,610 5 
			 Ramsgate South East   
			 SCT Wessex 9,500,000 69,700 9,569,700 10 -80,300 9 
			 Seaham Newcastle 165,000 132,819 297,819 10 -24,681 7 
			 Sharpness Western 170,000 109,750 279,750 5 109,750 4 
			 Sheerness South East 2,125,000 4,431,570 6,556,570 98 -3,911,120 54 
			 Shoreham South East 100,000 931,725 1,031,725 21 42,750 4 
			 Southampton Wessex 7,500,000 13,723,675 21,223,675 134 -41,595 21 
			 Sunderland Newcastle 95,000 1,165,150 1,260,150 30 71,500 15 
			 TCS East Anglia 3,400,000 35,300 3,435,300 4 35,300 3 
			 Teesport Newcastle 1,000,000 3,595,785 4,595,785 72 -4,163,265 15 
			 Teignmouth South West 490,000 153,000 643,000 2 93,000 1 
			 Thamesport South East 2,240,000 648,475 2,888,475 17 19,975 12 
			 Tilbury East Anglia 2,100,000 10,416,975 12,516,975 131 4,642,150 36 
			 Tyne Newcastle 616,500 3,375,840 3,992,340 63 61,040 14 
			 Workington North West 65,000 173,805 238,805 8 -25,550 4 
			 Summary for England  83,674,500 124,937,278 208,611,778 2,127 11,306,994 569 
			 Change in England  -44,426,000 55,060,494  569   
			 
			 Barry South Wales 122,500 1,715,415 1,837,915 97 105,900 5 
			 Cardiff South Wales 300,000 2,261,950 2,561,950 64 709,100 60 
			 Fishguard South Wales 1,000,000 94,900 1,094,900 12 -578,000 3 
			 Holyhead North Wales 4,000,000 146,585 4,146,585 27 101,470 11 
			 Milford Dock Company South Wales 115,000 473,135 588,135 65 32,625 4 
			 Milford Haven Port Authority South Wales   
			 Mostyn North Wales 87,500 442,050 529,550 4 4,550 1 
			 Newport South Wales 1,750,000 1,593,090 3,343,090 37 43,315 12 
			 Port Talbot South Wales 150,000 16,602,400 16,752,400 29 59,050 6 
			 Swansea South Wales 310,000 802,675 1,112,675 23 544,100 9 
			 Summary for Wales  7,835,000 24,132,200 31,967,200 358 1,022,110 111 
			 
			 Totals (excl. Milford Haven, Ramsgate, Poole and Plymouth Millbay)  91,509,500 149,069,478 240,578,978 2,485 12,329,104 680 
			 
			 Change England plus Wales  -44,491,000 56,820,104 5.40% increase 36.70% increase

Property Development: Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations she has received from  (a) developers, (b) local authorities and  (c) the Environment Agency on the operation of Planning Policy Statement 25.

Iain Wright: No recent representations from these parties about the operation of Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25) have been received by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
	The Government continue to work closely with local authorities, the Environment Agency and other stakeholders to ensure that the policy in PPS25 is properly implemented and delivered on the ground, including holding conferences, presentations and workshops aimed at a range of audiences.

Regional Planning and Development: South West

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many responses she has received to the latest consultation on the South West Regional Spatial Strategy in respect of  (a) the whole document,  (b) HMA 7, area of search 7D/E/F and  (c) HMA 7, area of search 7B.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 9 December 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 December 2008,  Official Report, column 62W. Officials at the Government office for the south-west are currently assessing the 35,000 responses received and, at this stage, it is not possible to say how many responses are concerned with specific proposals of the Regional Spatial Strategy.

Repossession Orders

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties have been repossessed in each of the housing renewal areas in each month since 1 April 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: There are two independent sources of data on actual numbers of mortgage possessions: The Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Financial Services Authority. However, information from both is available only for the United Kingdom as a whole and is available only quarterly.
	The Department does not collect information on mortgage possessions although information for the United Kingdom as a whole is published by the Council of Mortgage lenders and the Financial Services Authority.
	The Council of Mortgage Lenders data are available on their website at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/3AP4.xls?ref=2753
	The Financial Services Authority data are available on their website at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Returns/IRR/statistics/

Repossession Orders

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many home repossessions there were in  (a) England,  (b) the North West,  (c) Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council area and  (d) Cheadle constituency in (i) 2007 and (ii) to date in 2008.

Iain Wright: There are two independent sources of data on actual numbers of mortgage possessions: The Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Financial Services Authority. However information from both are only available for the United Kingdom as a whole.
	The Department does not collect information on mortgage possessions although information for the United Kingdom as a whole is published by the Council of Mortgage lenders and the Financial Services Authority.
	The Council of Mortgage Lenders data are available on their website at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/3AP4.xls?ref=2753.
	The Financial Services Authority data are available on their website at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Returns/lRR/statistics/.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from US authorities on the proposed changes to air passenger duty; what the content of each such representation was; what response his Department made in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor announced at the 2008 pre-Budget report that air passenger duty would be reformed from a two-distance band regime to a four-distance band regime. The Chancellor has not received any representations from the US authorities on these changes.
	The US Government responded to the Government's consultation on proposals for a per plane tax. The summary of consultation responses was published alongside the pre-Budget report.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 336-7W, on Government departments: information and communications technology, which IP addresses are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) computers in the offices of its (i) Ministers, (ii) communications officials and (iii) special advisers.

Angela Eagle: To help defend against electronic attack, it is standard good practice for corporate IT systems not to publish internal IP addresses. When accessing internet websites, the IP addresses of all of the computers on HM Treasury's internal office IT system are hidden behind the following IP addresses which are publicly available195.92.40.49 and 62.25.106.209. These IP addresses are shared with other Government departments who use the Government secure intranet.

Economic and Monetary Union

William Hague: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he  (a) last met the President of the European Commission and  (b) spoke to the President of the European Commission; and whether he discussed Britain's prospective membership of the euro on either occasion.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Economic and Monetary Union

William Hague: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on preparations for the possibility of joining the European single currency since 1997.

Ian Pearson: HM Treasury does not hold separate information on the cost of preparations for the possibility of joining the European single currency.

Equitable Life Assurance Society

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report into the prudential regulation of the Equitable Life Assurance Society from 1988 to the end of November 2001; and if he will establish a Commission as recommended by the Ombudsman in her report.

Angela Eagle: The Government have been giving very careful consideration to the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report. The Government expect to be in a position to respond to the report in an oral statement to the House during the week commencing 12 January.

Government Procurement Card

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what bodies store the data for transactions made through the Government Procurement Card.

Angela Eagle: The Card Issuing banks are the main bodies that store data for transactions made through the Government Procurement Card (GPC) service.

Insolvency

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1900W, on insolvency 
	(1)  how much was claimed by HM Revenue and Customs in  (a) bankruptcies and  (b) individual voluntary arrangement cases in which it was a creditor, in each of the last four years; and what the expected amounts are for (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1899-1900W, on insolvency, how much was claimed by HM Revenue and Customs in  (a) company administration and  (b) company receivership cases in which it was a creditor, in each of the last four years; and what the expected amounts are for (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10;
	(3)  with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1900W, on insolvency, in how many cases of  (a) bankruptcy and  (b) individual voluntary arrangements, where HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was a creditor, HMRC's claim was of an amount (i) up to 5,000, (ii) between 5,001 and 10,000, (iii) between 10,001 and 25,000, (iv) between 25,001 and 50,000, (v) between 50,001 and 75,000, (vi) between 75,001 and 100,000, (vii) between 100,001 and 250,000, (viii) between 250,001 and 500,000, (ix) between 500,001 and 1,000,000 and (x) over 1,000,000 in each of the last four years; and how many such cases are expected to fall into each category in (A) 2008-09 and (B) 2009-10;
	(4)  with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1899-1900W, on insolvency, in how many cases of  (a) company administration and  (b) company receivership, where HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was a creditor, HMRC's claim was of an amount (i) up to 5,000, (ii) between 5,001 and 10,000, (iii) between 10,001 and 25,000, (iv) between 25,001 and 50,000, (v) between 50,001 and 75,000, (vi) between 75,001 and 100,000, (vii) between 100,001 and 250,000, (viii) between 250,001 and 500,000, (ix) between 500,001 and 1,000,000 and (x) over 1,000,000 in each of the last four years; and how many such cases are expected to fall into each category in (A) 2008-09 and (B) 2009-10.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

John Leech: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the evidential basis was for the statement in the 2008 Pre-Budget Report that 70 per cent. of all empty properties would be covered by the temporary increase in the threshold for empty property relief.

Angela Eagle: Communities and Local Government publishes details of revenue received through business rates by region and according to value bands.
	The data are available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/lgfs/2008/lgfs18/LGFS18-2-3a.xls

Pre-Budget Review

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what appraisals were made of  (a) the sustainability impact and  (b) the carbon and climate change impact of the ; and if he will (i) publish on the Treasury website and (b) place in the Library copies of such appraisals.

Angela Eagle: Table 7.3 of the 2008 pre-Budget report sets out the environmental impact of measures. This includes an estimate of carbon dioxide emissions savings where these are quantifiable. For specific measures, the Government also uses the impact assessment process, in line with guidance from the Better Regulation Executive.

Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to Table B17 of the Pre-Budget Report 2008, Cm 7484, which departments will have their (a) resource and  (b) capital departmental expenditure limits increased in the current financial year; and what each increase will be, expressed in near-cash terms.

Yvette Cooper: The details of Departments' budgets changes that will take place in the current financial year will be set out to Parliament in Spring Supplementary Estimates. Spring Supplementary Estimates include changes to near cash budgets.

Revenue and Customs: Pay

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans there are to pay bonuses to staff at the Tax Credit Office in 2008-09.

Ian Pearson: Details on how HMRC rewards performance can be found in the Departmental Report and Departmental Accounts available at
	www.hmrc.gov.uk.

Revenue and Customs: Wales

Betty Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the basis is for the assertion by HM Revenue and Customs that it will be able to meet its obligation to provide a full Welsh language service for its clients in North West Wales after the closure of its Bangor office.

Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) remains committed to providing services to its Welsh-speaking customers, in accordance with its Welsh language scheme.
	The final decisions on its future office structure which HMRC published on 4 December included relocating most of the back office operations currently carried out from its office at Bangor to Colwyn Bay. The enquiry centre services currently offered in Bangor will continue to be provided either in the same building or nearby, so there will be minimal impact on customers requiring a face-to-face service. By using an appointment system, HMRC will continue to ensure that provision for Welsh speakers is made in advance of meetings.
	Other business units that will be relocating from Bangor are aware of the importance of the Welsh language service and have arrangements in place to ensure continuation of this provision across North Wales.

Tax Credit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of tax credit claimants have been underpaid more than  (a) once,  (b) twice,  (c) three times and  (d) four times since their claim began;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of tax credit claimants have been overpaid more than  (a) once,  (b) twice,  (c) three times and  (d) four times since their claim began.

Angela Eagle: Overpayments fell very significantly in 2006-07, to 1 billion, as a direct result of the successful implementation of a package of measures to improve tax credits announced at PBR 2005. They are now less than half the level of the first year of the system and through the Tax Credits Transformation programme we are continuing to help people to reduce the likelihood of getting an over or under-payment on their award.
	Information on the number of tax credit awards with more than one, two and three underpayments or overpayments, between 2003-04 and 2006-07, is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Thousand/Percentage 
			  Regularity with which overpayment or underpayment occurred  Number of awards underpaid  Number of awards overpaid 
			  (a) More than once(1) 555 1,811 
			  (b) More than twice(2) 82 461 
			  (c) More than three times 6 63 
			
			 Proportion of all tax credit awards in 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07, which were under/overpaid more than once (Percentage) 6 21 
			 (1 )Number is cumulative and therefore includes (b) and (c). (2) Number is cumulative and therefore includes (c). 
		
	
	Information on the number of families incurring underpayments or overpayments in 2007-08 is not yet available.

VAT: Financial Services

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of December 2008,  Official Report, column 15W, on VAT: financial services, 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the financial benefit the financial services sector will derive from the reduction in the standard rate of VAT;
	(2)  how much the financial services sector contributed to the Exchequer in  (a) recoverable and  (b) irrecoverable VAT in the last year for which figures are available.

Ian Pearson: Information on VAT receipts collected by trade sectors is published in the VAT Factsheet, available from:
	www.uktradeinfo.com
	In total the financial services sector (financial intermediation, insurance, pension fund and auxiliary activities) collected around 1 billion in net VAT receipts in 2005, the last year for which figures are published. This figure relates to all business activities of the relevant VAT registrations and not just their finance related activities, and does not include import VAT paid by these registrations.
	HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on irrecoverable VAT. The sector's irrecoverable VAT and robust estimates of the financial benefit from the reduction in the standard rate of VAT are therefore not available.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1517W, on Afghanistan: military aircraft, for what reasons he made the statement 'that I cannot understand why you are telling people otherwise', in the text of an Answer to a Parliamentary Question.

Bob Ainsworth: The hon. Member and I have discussed this issue and we will continue to do so.

Armed Forces: Postal Services

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Christmas mail packages sent to armed forces personnel have been returned to the original sender in the last three months.

Bob Ainsworth: These data are not recorded.

Armed Forces: Rescue Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the defence budget was spent on responding to  (a) natural disasters,  (b) network failures or disruption and  (c) criminal activity in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence budget does not include provision for responding to natural disasters, network failures or disruption, or criminal activity which are the lead responsibility of other Government Departments. Where the Ministry of Defence is called upon to assist, we would only do so free of charge where there were an imminent threat to human life, or seek repayment in the case of less severe threats. We do not keep a central record of all the costs reclaimed by Defence.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer given to the hon. Member for Congleton (Ann Winterton) of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1170W, on armoured vehicles 
	(1)  for how long it has been his Department's policy to refit unarmoured Jackals with armour;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to buy more unarmoured Jackals; what the cost of the improvement programme is; and where the vehicles have been operating.

Quentin Davies: The Department has not procured any unarmoured Jackals, nor does it intend to in the future. The Jackal configuration has always included the armour and, as the armour fit is a part of the vehicle base standard, there is no additional cost for fitting it. 13 vehicles were, however, released early to the training fleet before the armour was fitted to facilitate training. These vehicles have not been used on operations and are in service only within the UK-based training fleet. 12 of the 13 vehicles are currently undergoing a programme to fit the armour retrospectively at no cost to the Department.

Biological Weapons

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards are in place for which his Department is responsible to prevent the acquisition of dangerous pathogens from UK civilian laboratories by individuals intending to construct biological weapons.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK legislation governing the security of pathogens and toxins in civilian laboratories is contained in part 7 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. Schedule 5 of this Act specifically identifies the pathogens which could potentially be utilised as biological weapons and requires the registration of laboratories with the UK holding this material for research purposes. The Act is implemented through the Home Office's National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO); details can be found at:
	www.nactso.gov/pathogen.php
	The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) site at Porton Down undertakes research to provide safe and effective countermeasures for the UK and its armed forces against biological warfare agents, and therefore holds pathogenic agents. The effectively guarded laboratories at Dstl Porton Down have been inspected by NaCTSO and Dstl is fully compliant with the guidance as published by the Home Office.

Biological Weapons

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards are in place for which his Department is responsible to prevent the acquisition of scientific and technical knowledge from UK sources by individuals intending to construct  (a) biological weapons,  (b) chemical weapons and  (c) nuclear or radiological weapons for the purpose of a terrorist attack.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) undertake research to provide safe and effective countermeasures for the UK and its armed forces against chemical, biological and radiological warfare agents.
	Most of this work is not published and remains protected information on secure systems in secure sites. However, where possible, Dstl and AWE publish some results of their research programme in peer reviewed scientific literature but only after a very detailed internal clearance procedure to ensure that no information is released that will aid terrorism.

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence's Equality and Diversity Scheme 2008-11 is available on the website at:
	www.mod.pdf
	The scheme incorporates the disability equality duty together with other diversity strands covering race, gender, age, religion or belief and sexual orientation. The conclusions can be found in the annual progress report for 2007-08, which is due to be published shortly. A copy will be placed on the website and in the Library of the House.
	The armed forces are exempt from the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weapons system the Joint Strike Fighter will carry.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 676W, to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames).

Navy: Piracy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent guidance has been issued to the Royal Navy on engaging pirates.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison) on 9 December 2008,  Official Report, column 54W.

Navy: Piracy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships are undertaking anti-piracy patrols; and on how many occasions in the last 10 years the Royal Navy has engaged suspected pirates.

Bob Ainsworth: We have two Royal Navy vessels currently on counter-piracy operations. We do not hold records of the number of occasions the RN have engaged with suspected pirates over the last 10 years. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 20 November 2008,  Official R eport, column 670W, on the number of such incidents in the last three months.

Rifles

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department plans to bring legacy L115 A1 and A2 sniper rifles up to the A3 standard; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no plans to convert legacy L115 Al sniper rifles to A3 standard; the L115 A2 is planned to be upgraded.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Attorney General for Northern Ireland: Public Appointments

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what process governs the appointment of the Attorney General Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The responsibilities of the Attorney-General for Northern Ireland (AGNI) currently attach  ex officio to the Attorney-General for England and Wales. After devolution of criminal justice functions, the arrangements for appointment of the AGNI will be as set out in Part 2 of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002, which provides that the appointment is a matter for the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Section 22(6) requires that a person appointed as AGNI must be a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland or a solicitor of at least 10 years' standing.

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Shaun Woodward: In Northern Ireland, Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 ensures that equality issues, including disability, are integral to the whole range of public policy decision making. Public authorities such as the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) are required to submit equality schemes to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
	Section 49A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995) (as amended by Article 5 of the Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006) introduced the 'disability duties' in Northern Ireland to reflect changes to disability legislation in Great Britain. In addition to section 75 the Northern Ireland Office is therefore required, when carrying out its functions, to have due regard to the need to:
	promote positive attitudes towards disabled people; and
	encourage participation by disabled people in public life.
	Under Section 49B of the DDA 1995, the NIO submitted a three year disability action plan to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland which sets out how it proposes to fulfil the disability duties in relation to its functions.
	The NIO reports annually to the Equality Commission on its equality scheme and this includes a report on progress against its disability action plan. The annual report from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 has been published and can be found at:
	http://www.nio.gov.uk/section_75_northern_ireland_act_1998 __annual_progress_report_1_april_2007_-_31_march_2008.pdf

Departmental Work Experience

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals have worked in his Department on  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid work experience or internships in each of the last three years; on average how many hours a week were worked by such people in each year; what types of work each was involved in; what proportion were in full-time education; what proportion did not complete their set period of work experience; and how much those who received remuneration were paid on average per week in each year.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) participates in Cabinet Office summer placement schemes aimed at attracting talented undergraduates/graduates with either disabilities or from ethnic minorities to the Civil Service Fast Stream. The Department provides salaried placements of six to eight weeks duration working in policy areas or on projects.
	The NIO has also provided one-year salaried placements for IT sandwich students to enable them to meet the industry relevant skills element of their IT degree courses. While in the Department the students provide IT helpdesk support to staff. In addition, the NIO facilitates ad hoc requests for unpaid work experience of up to one week's duration for students in secondary level education. This allows students to experience work in the civil service and involves mainly shadowing existing staff. All the students facilitated have been in full-time education at the time, each working 36 to 37 hours per week, and all completed their set time period. The following table provides details of the placements facilitated in the last three years:
	
		
			   2006  2007  2008 
			  Cabinet Office placement scheme
			 Number of placements 1 2  
			 Average weekly salary () 380 354  
			 
			  IT sandwich student scheme
			 Number of placements 2   
			 Average weekly salary () 250   
			 
			  Work experience
			 Number of placements 3 1 6 
			 Average weekly salary ()

Parades Commission

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits have been undertaken by members of the Parades Commission to venues outside Northern Ireland in the last five years; which venues were visited; on what dates; and what the cost was of each visit.

Paul Goggins: This is an operational matter for the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland, which operates independently of Government, and I would encourage the hon. Member to write to the Secretary of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland directly.

Parades Commission

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which members of the Parades Commission have undertaken visits on official business outside Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and which venues have been visited.

Paul Goggins: This is an operational matter for the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland, which operates independently of Government, and I would encourage the hon. Member to write to the Secretary of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland directly.

Prostitution

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of prostitute-soliciting in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years; and how many of these were (i) UK citizens, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) non-EU foreign nationals.

Paul Goggins: In 2005 and 2006 (the latest years for which data are available), there were no prosecutions or convictions for prostitute-soliciting in Northern Ireland.
	Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.

Prostitution

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of brothel-keeping in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years; and how many of these were (i) UK citizens, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) non-EU foreign nationals.

Paul Goggins: In 2005, three persons were prosecuted and convicted for brothel-keeping in Northern Ireland, all of whom had addresses in the UK; in 2006 (the latest year for which data are available), there were no prosecutions or convictions for this offence.
	Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	There have been a number of recent raids on brothels in Northern Ireland, specifically when PSNI have been concerned that victims of human trafficking might be involved.

PRIME MINISTER

Economic and Monetary Union

William Hague: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  when he  (a) last met the President of the European Commission and  (b) spoke to the President of the European Commission; and whether he discussed Britain's prospective membership of the euro on either occasion.
	(2)  whether it is the Government's long-term policy objective to take the UK into the euro zone;
	(3)  when the Cabinet last discussed the possibility of the UK's membership of the euro.

Gordon Brown: I last met the President of the European Commission on Monday 8 December. I discussed a wide range of issues with the President. I refer the right hon. Member to the press conference I held with President Barroso and President Sarkozy on Monday 8 December. A transcript is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page17733.
	In addition, I refer the right hon. Member to the press briefing given by my Spokesman on 9 December. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page17744.
	A copy of both transcripts has been placed in the Library of the House.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Leader of the House what conclusions her Office has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Chris Bryant: Progress on equality issues in the Leader's Office is reported in the Cabinet Office's Single Equality Scheme. Copies, which run to 115 pages, are available in the Libraries of the House and on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/cabinetoffice/corp/assets/publications/corporate/equality/equality_scheme.doc.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 336-7W, on Government departments: information and communications technology, which IP addresses are used by  (a) her Office and  (b) computers in (i) her private office, (ii) the offices of its communications officials and (iii) the offices of her special advisers.

Chris Bryant: In accordance with standard good information security practice and to help defend against electronic attack, my office does not publish internal IP addresses for its corporate IT systems. When accessing external services such as internet websites, the IP addresses of all the computers on my office's internal IT system are hidden behind the following IP addresses which are publicly available195.92.40.49 and 62.25.106.209.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House what records her Department maintains of its expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) the amount of money spent on alcohol for official hospitality.

Chris Bryant: Expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) alcohol is recorded on the Cabinet Office Resource Accounting System.

Members: Allowances

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Leader of the House if she will list the hon. Members who used the communications allowance to fund the publication of a Parliamentary Report in the 2007-08 Session.

Chris Bryant: In 2007-08 financial year, 601 hon. Members claimed for costs against the Communications Allowance and the average amount spent was 7,870.
	The Department of Resources, who are responsible for administering the Communications Allowance, does not record information on the House financial system that distinguishes between monies spent on parliamentary reports and other eligible, non-capital, items.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has held discussions on possible regulation of the liquefied petroleum gas market.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has not held any discussions on possible regulation of the liquefied petroleum gas market. However, the Competition Commission (CC) has recently conducted an investigation into suppliers of bulk LPG for domestic use and the relationships they have with their customers. It published its report on 29 June 2006. Subsequently, the CC made the first of two orders to remedy, mitigate and prevent detrimental effects on customers so far as they have resulted from, or may be expected to result from, the adverse effect on competition specified in the report. From 13 April 2009 the first order will apply to all suppliers of bulk LPG for domestic use. A second order which will apply to all suppliers of bulk LPG for domestic use on metered estates is currently the subject of consultation and is expected to be published in early 2009.

Power Stations: Kingsnorth

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to determine whether the proposed Kingsnorth power station would deliver an absolute increase in energy efficiency; what assessment he has made of the energy efficiency of  (a) Kingsnorth and  (b) existing plant; and what estimate he has made of the change in levels of carbon dioxide emissions which would result from the (i) construction and (ii) operation of the power station.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no such assessments or estimates.
	E.ON estimate that the proposed Kingsnorth super-critical boilers could attain an efficiency of around 47 per cent. against 37 per cent. efficiency from the existing Kingsnorth sub-critical boilers.
	E.ON also estimate that the proposed Kingsnorth station could emit 8.6 MtCO2 per year, based on maximum assumptions of 0.717 MtCO2 per TWh of electricity and an estimated output of 12 TWH per year (cf 9.85 TWh achieved by the existing station in 2006). But actual output will depend on many factors, including the relative price of fossil fuels, the price of carbon, and whether, and if so when, any carbon abatement technology is fitted.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Disabled Staff

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office is covered by Disability Equality Scheme introduced by the Ministry of Justice. This scheme provides plans setting out how they will carry out the Disability Equality Duty, monitor, and report on progress. Section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice states that public authorities must, on an annual basis, publish a report containing a summary of:
	The steps it has taken to fulfil its disability equality duty (the action plan); what has the authority done over the past year to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity and is it meeting its targets
	The results of the information gathering which it has carried outwhat evidence has been obtained and what does it indicate
	What the authority has done with the information gatheredwhat actions will be taken as a result of what the information indicates
	The scheme, associated action plans and first yearly review is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/equality-schemes-2008.htm

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with reference to the answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 336-7W, on Government departments: information and communications technology, which IP addresses are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) computers in the offices of its (i) Ministers, (ii) communications officials and (iii) special advisers.

Ann McKechin: To help defend against electronic attack, it is standard good information security practice for corporate IT systems, not to publish internal IP addresses. When accessing internet websites, the IP addresses of all of the computers on the internal office IT system are hidden behind the following IP addresses which are publicly available195.92.40.49 and 62.25.106.209. These IP addresses are shared with other Government Departments that use the Government Secure Intranet.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department spent on Ministerial hospitality in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06,  (c) 2006-07 and  (d) 2007-08, expressed in current prices.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office spend on ministerial hospitality in the four years in question was as follows:
	
		
			
			 2004-05 18,420 
			 2005-06 17,748 
			 2006-07 23,411 
			 2007-08 19,191 
		
	
	The events continue to be popular with MPs of all parties with relevant Scottish constituencies taking the opportunity to engage with important stakeholders and groups in Scotland.

Whisky

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment the Government has made of the value of the Scotch whisky industry to the Scottish economy.

Ann McKechin: Scotch Whisky exports are worth 2.8 billion to the Scottish, and UK, economy each year. In addition, the Scotch Whisky industry generates 800 million of salaries in Scotland and 700 million is spent on local goods and services in Scotland.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Development Aid: Disabled

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make extra funding available to assist people with disabilities in the developing world.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises disability as a key development issue and for this reason we have already been looking for opportunities to increase our support to disability issues.
	DFID recently committed 868,000 to the new Disability Rights Fund which is a unique and innovative grant-making mechanism designed to provide funding directly to disabled people's organisations (DPOs) in the global south and eastern Europe/former Soviet Union. DFID is one of five international donors currently contributing to the fund which has just made its first round of grants to 33 DPOs across Africa and Asia.
	In recognition of the fact that more data on disability are urgently needed DFID recently committed 2.2 million to a five-year cross-cutting disability research programme to begin in January 2009. This will increase the amount of robust data available which more clearly demonstrate the links between disability and poverty in developing countries. It will work closely with research currently being carried out by the Southern Africa Federation of Disabled People's Research Project (2.2 million) which has been running since 2007. This five-year project which has been designed and run by disabled people in the region, has already started to produce evidence of the kinds of barriers disabled people face when trying to access basic services like health and education.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Protection

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many home visits a child considered to be at  (a) low risk and  (b) high risk received from an allocated health visitor in the first two years following assessment in each London borough between 9 September 2008 and the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;

Ann Keen: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not held centrally.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what records his Department maintains of its expenditure on  (a) official hospitality and  (b) alcohol for official hospitality.

Edward Balls: DCSF is unable to identify separately the costs of alcohol from those of official hospitality as such expenditure is claimed and recorded under the general heading above.
	My Department's policy on hospitality, including that on alcohol, is in accordance with the principles of Treasury guidance in Managing Public Money and the handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.
	 (a) Hospitality expenditure is limited to occasions when official business can best be transacted in that way. Personal entertainment is usually restricted to where senior managers (Deputy Director or above) are acting as host, and expenditure must be approved in advance by a Director or Executive Board member and recorded using the above category.
	 (b) The following guidance is issued by my Department to staff on the provision of alcohol.
	There is a general principle that alcohol should not be provided at public expense and never when only civil servants are present.
	It is accepted that there are some events, whose primary purpose is for non-civil servants, where not providing alcohol could be seen as unusual or cause embarrassment. It is done with due regard to value for money, any provision being modest and proportionate, and requires a senior manager's approval.

Education and Skills Act 2008

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how he plans to monitor compliance by schools with the provision of section 81 of the Education and Skills Act 2008.

Beverley Hughes: The amendments made by Section 81 to schools' duties in respect of providing a programme of careers education and providing access to guidance and reference materials on 16-18 education and training and careers opportunities, will be underpinned by statutory guidance. This will include Principles of impartial careers education. We will provide support for schools to help them to assess their performance against the principles including on getting feedback from young people and their parents on the quality of the information and advice that they have received.
	The quality and accessibility of the impartiality of the information and advice provided by schools will be considered as part of the inspection process. The school Self Evaluation Form asks schools to evaluate the quality and accessibility of impartial information and guidance to learners in choosing courses and programmes and, where applicable, career progression.
	Inspectors will consider responses in evaluating how well learners are guided and supported as part of assessing the overall quality of provision.
	Local authorities have strategic responsibilities for IAG provision through their responsibility for convening 14-19 partnerships and will also have a strong interest in ensuring that schools adhere to the principles.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of children obtained five good GCSEs including English and mathematics, excluding equivalents, in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the table below:
	
		
			   Number of pupils achieving 5 GCSEs only at grades A*-C including English and maths  Percentage of pupils achieving 5 GCSEs only at grades A*-C including English and maths 
			 2008 295,170 45.2 
			 2007 286,616 43.7 
			 2006 288,761 44.5 
			 2005 279,200 43.9 
			 2004 271,723 42.2 
			 2003 258,273 41.5 
			 2002 253,774 41.8 
			 2001 244,645 40.5 
			 2000 231,657 39.9 
			 1999 224,089 38.6 
			 1998 212,305 36.9 
			 1997 209,075 35.6 
			  Note: The 2008 data are provisional and subject to change. 
		
	
	Please note that the data for 2005-07 are based on pupils at the end of KS4 and years 2003 to 1997 are based on 15-year-old pupils at the start of the academic year.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of  (a) boys and  (b) girls in (i) pupil referral units, (ii) alternative provision and (iii) special schools obtained at least five A* to C including English and mathematics at GCSE in 2008;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of  (a) boys and  (b) girls in (i) pupil referral units, (ii) alternative provision and (iii) special schools obtained at least five A* to C GCSEs in 2008;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of  (a) boys and  (b) girls in (i) pupil referral units, (ii) alternative provision and (iii) special schools obtained at least one C grade or above at GCSE in 2008.

Jim Knight: Information on the attainment of pupils in alternative provision is not available.
	Provisional information on pupils in pupil referral units and special schools can be found in table 5 of the following Statistical First Release:
	 DCSF: GCSE and Equivalent Results in England, 2007/08 (Provisional)
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000815/index.shtml
	Schools get the opportunity to amend their results during the checking exercise before the revised data are published in January 2009.

GCSE: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children obtained five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics in schools  (a) with fewer than 10 per cent.,  (b) with more than 20 per cent. and  (c) with more than 50 per cent. free school meals pupils in the last three years. [Official Report, 13 January 2009, Vol. 486, c. 3MC.]

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage of pupils achieving five GCSEs at grades A*-C including English and mathematics 
			  School FSM band  2006  2007 
			 Less than 10 per cent. eligible 57 58 
			 20 per cent. or more eligible 19 20 
			 50 per cent. or more eligible 14 13 
		
	
	2008 data will only be available as of 11 December 2008.
	Please note that prior to 2006 the five GCSEs at grades A*-C including English and mathematics indicator was not available at school level.

National Curriculum Tests

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of 14 year olds  (a) not in care and  (b) in care achieved level five in English, mathematics and science at key stage 3 in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The OC2 data collection collects information on a range of outcomes for looked after children from local authorities. This information has been published in the Statistical First Release Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, Twelve months to 30 September 2007England (SFR 08/2008), which is available on the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000785/index.shtml
	This publication contains figures for the period 2005-07.
	Information on attainment in schools can be found in table B which shows the number eligible to sit KS3 tests and the number and percentage who have achieved at least level 5 in English, mathematics and science.
	Information on the attainment of looked after children was first collected in 2000, figures for earlier years are also published on the Department's website and can be found via the following links:
	Figures for 2002-04 are available in volume reference (03/2005) here:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000580/index.shtml
	Figures for 2000-01 are available in volume reference (DH/VOL(OUT)01) here:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000523/index.shtml

Pre-school Education: Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) male and  (b) female teachers there are in (i) Sure Start centres and (ii) nursery schools.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on staff working with children and young people. The data are not available in the form requested. The following table shows, for each type of setting, what proportions of paid staff were male and female. In 2007, 2 per cent. of paid staff were male and 98 per cent. were female in each of the following types of setting: full day care children's centres; nursery schools; primary schools with nursery and reception classes. In primary schools with reception but no nursery classes 1 per cent. of paid staff were male and 99 per cent. were female.
	
		
			  Male and female staff by type of setting, 2007 
			  Percentage 
			   Proportion of paid male staff  Proportion of paid female staff 
			 Full day care 2 98 
			 Full day care in children's centres 2 98 
			 Sessional 1 99 
			 After school clubs 8 92 
			 Holiday clubs 16 84 
			 Childminders 1 99 
			 Nursery schools 2 98 
			 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes 2 98 
			 Primary schools with reception but no nursery classes 1 99 
			  Source: DCSF Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey, 2007. 
		
	
	The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is taking the lead in a national campaign to highlight the children's workforce. One of the main aims of the campaign is to encourage men into the sector. Also, recruitment activity around Early Years Professional Status includes focus on engaging with and generating interest among men, particularly fathers.

Schools

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on upgrading or rebuilding school buildings in  (a) the North East,  (b) Tees Valley district,  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency and  (d) England since 1997.

Jim Knight: The Department is responsible for schools in England, and allocates resources on a local authority basis. Accordingly, information is kept on a local authority rather than on a constituency basis.
	During the period 1996-97 to 2007-08, total capital allocations for school building upgrade and rebuilding were in  (a) the North East 1,807 million,  (b) Middlesbrough 77 million,  (c) Redcar and Cleveland 128 million,  (d) England 31,446 million.

Schools: Buildings

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the written Ministerial Statement of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 61-62WS, on secondary school improvement, what schools are classified as coasting in each local authority; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a local authority led initiative and it will be down to each authority to identify the schools that will most benefit from the support and challenge set out in the strategy document.
	The document, Gaining Ground, can be found at
	www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk

Science: Schools

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department plans to take to improve teaching provision for science in schools.

Jim Knight: The Government announced in January 2008 a 140 million strategy to educate the next generation of scientists and mathematicians and help recruit and train more science and mathematics teachers. Much work is underway to improve the number of specialist teachers, this includes:
	increasing the value of the teacher training bursary for science graduates to 9,000 in September 2006, and the 'Golden Hello' for new science teachers rose to 5,000 for trainees who trained on PGCE and equivalent courses from September 2005;
	continuing to recruit science graduates into teaching with incentives for providers of 2,000 per recruit to attract more physics and chemistry teachers;
	offering courses to enhance physics and chemistry subject skills for those entering teaching who do not have a recent degree, or who have a related degree, in the subject;
	piloting accredited courses to give existing science teachers without a physics or chemistry specialism the deep subject knowledge and pedagogy they need to teach these subjects effectively, those who gain accreditation will receive a 5,000 incentive. These courses are to be rolled out nationally from July 2009;
	setting up a mentoring scheme to support newly qualified science teachers which is to be piloted from July 2009;
	introducing a new cadre of science specialist higher level teaching assistants to support teachers;
	funding the Student Associate Scheme in which science undergraduates spend time in school supporting teachers; and
	establishing the Transition to Teaching programme to get employers to encourage talented staff to retrain as secondary school teachers in physics, chemistry, ICT and mathematics.
	The Government are also committed to improving the quality of teaching and learning. The Secondary National Strategy provides continuing professional development for science teachers focused on raising pupils' attainment. In partnership with the Wellcome Trust we have set up a national network of Science Learning Centres to provide professional development for science teachers, technicians and other science educators. The training focuses on encouraging innovative and exciting teaching practice that will enthuse and inspire young people. Together with the Wellcome Trust and industry, we are funding 'Project Enthuse' to enable science teachers to experience high quality professional development in contemporary science at the National Science Learning centre over the next five years and DCSF is also funding Impact Awards available to teachers attending the regional Science Learning Centres.

Sixth Form Education

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to implement changes to the presumption in favour of school sixth forms, as set out in paragraph 4.21 of the Raising Expectations White Paper; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We are beginning a six-week consultation on changes to the Decision Makers' guidance that covers sixth form presumptions on 11 December and, subject to comments received by the deadline of 22 January 2009, we expect to be able to implement the changes in February 2009.
	We remain committed to the principle of expanding successful and popular schools and colleges, including enabling them to establish new 16-19 provision. Collaboration between schools, and between schools and colleges, will be essential to ensure that we have a high quality offer for all young people and to support the successful delivery of diplomas and of the wider 14-19 reforms.

Social Services: Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many local authorities' children's services were placed in special measures in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: 'Special measures' is not a term that the Department uses with reference to its engagement with local authority children's services. Ministers may take action to engage with local authorities where there is evidence of weakness in performance, for example as the result of 'inadequate' Ofsted judgment(s) in annual performance assessments (APAs) and joint area reviews (JARs). Such intervention can take various forms, from offering external improvement support, enhanced monitoring and challenge through to issuing an improvement notice (IN) in more serious cases. In the most serious cases, the Secretary of State may decide to make use of his statutory powers of direction and intervention.
	In the last five years, Ministers have made use of their statutory powers of direction in relation to North East Lincolnshire (2005), Stoke-on-Trent (2007) and Haringey (2008), and have issued improvement notices to Salford, Leicester City and Surrey. We have also intervened without the use of statutory powers or improvement notices in various local authorities, deploying a range of improvement support options, including external consultancy support teams, independently-chaired improvement boards and enhanced monitoring arrangements. These authorities were:
	 2004- 05
	Swindon;
	Barnsley;
	Cumbria.
	 2005-06
	Sandwell;
	Staffordshire.
	 2006- 07
	Bristol;
	Isle of Wight;
	Peterborough;
	Plymouth;
	Devon;
	Herefordshire;
	Medway.
	 2007-08
	Dorset;
	Hertfordshire;
	Thurrock.
	 2008-09
	Oxfordshire;
	Lancashire.

Social Services: Training

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has allocated for the training of  (a) youth workers and  (b) social service practitioners to enable early identification of young people at risk in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Since April 2008 DCSF has allocated a Children's Social Care Workforce Grant of 18.156 million for each of the three years (2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11) to the Area Based Grant(1) for the children's social care work force (including social workers), to support work force training and development.
	The Children's Social Care Workforce Grant was formerly allocated by the Department of Health (DH) in two portions (along with the Adults Social Care Workforce Grant) as part of the Social Services National Training Strategy and Human Resources Development Strategy grants to support social care work force development in the adult and children's sector. Funding from DH in past years for these grants totalled:
	
		
			   million 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 National Training Strategy Grant 24.884 30.979 94.859 107.859 107.859 
			 Human Resources Development Strategy Grant 9.525 23.9 62.75 49.75 49.75 
		
	
	In 2008-09 DCSF also allocated 12.455 million to the Children's Workforce Development Council to improve the capacity, skills and supply of social workers in children's services, working closely with partners such as the General Social Care Council and those supporting improvements in adult social work, including Skills for Care.
	The Government do not collect data on the training of youth workers. From 2006-07 to 2008-09 the Government have invested 15 million to support local authorities in implementing reforms to targeted youth support services so that interventions are made earlier for vulnerable young people to help prevent poor outcomes.
	(1) The ABG is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government; it is a non-ringfenced grant which gives local authorities the flexibility to determine locally how best to spend the resource in order to deliver local, regional and national priorities in their areas.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of 14-year-olds he expects will be enrolled on a diploma course in 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As with all qualifications, we cannot predict the number of young people who will enrol each year. During spring 2013, when young people start to make their choices, we will have a much clearer idea, and in October 2013 we will have accurate figures.

Specialised Diplomas

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) male and  (b) female pupils of each ethnicity (i) in care and (ii) not in care are studying on one or more diploma courses.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In summer 2009 we will have information about the proportions of pupils entered for Diplomas, broken down by gender, ethnicity and whether in care for those pupils sitting examinations in 2009.

Specialised Diplomas: Rural Areas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to help rural schools collaborate in offering diploma courses.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We know that rural areas face a particular set of challenges and so we have made 23 million available over the next two years to the 40 most rural areas in the country to help drive local solutions and innovation.
	This includes:
	Funding the post of travel and access coordinator in each of the 40 most rural areas;
	Providing 1 million of capital to the 20 most rural areas to help them develop innovative solutions; and
	Providing a small amount of funding to support a rural pairing scheme to help the 40 most rural areas share practice and explore solutions together.
	We have also appointed a rural adviser to support areas in their delivery of the 14-19 reform programmes.

Specialist Schools

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many special schools there were in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001 and  (c) the last year for which data are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown in the following table. Figures include maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	
		
			  January  Number of special schools  in England 
			 1997 1,221 
			 2001 1,175 
			 2008 1,065 
			  Source:  School Census

Teachers: Sick Leave

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many days of sick leave were taken by teachers in maintained schools in the last year, broken down by type of illness.

Jim Knight: Figures for the number of full-time and part-time teacher sickness absences in local authority maintained schools in England, calendar years 2000 to 2007, are published in table 13 of the School Workforce Statistical First Release, January 2008 (Revised) at the following web link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000813/SFR262008 tables.xls
	Information on the type of illness is not collected centrally.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Departmental Pay

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what bonuses were paid by his Department in 2007-08; to which members of staff; and for what purposes.

Si�n Simon: Non-consolidated bonuses paid in the Department were paid to 51 per cent. of staff in 2007-08. Bonuses are judged on delivery of agreed objectives and behaviours.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties.

Si�n Simon: The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills last used a train in the course of his official duties on Friday 28 November 2008. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.

Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many of his Department's staff who left under  (a) an involuntary and  (b) a voluntary exit scheme in each year since it was established received a severance package of (i) up to 25,000, (ii) 25,001 to 50,000, (iii) 50,001 to 75,000, (iv) 75,001 to 100,000 and (v) over 100,000; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: In the Department, there have been seven early releases in 2007-08, at a total cost of 512,000 and two in 2008-09 at a total cost of 90,000. There are currently no early releases planned for 2009-10.
	Information on individual voluntary exit scheme payments to staff for each year is not available in the form requested and could only be obtain at disproportionate cost.
	There have been no compulsory releases.

Train to Gain Programme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people in England participated in the Train to Gain programme in 2006-07.

Si�n Simon: There were 238,700 people who started a Train to Gain programme in 2006-07.
	Train to Gain was created in April 2006. Standard reporting practice is to include the months of April to July 2006 in the 2006-07 academic year. The figure above therefore covers Train to Gain starts over a 16 month period.

Train to Gain Programme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people in  (a) England and  (b) the Vale of York completed a Train to Gain programme in 2006-07.

Si�n Simon: Overall, there were 122,000 Train to Gain achievements in 2006-07. There were 120 Train to Gain achievements in 2006-07 in the Vale of York Constituency.
	 Notes:
	1. Train to Gain was created in April 2006. Standard reporting practice is to include the months of April to July 2006 in the 2006-07 academic year. The figures above therefore cover Train to Gain achievements over a 16 month period.
	2. Constituency is based on learner's home postcode.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Business Grants

Ben Chapman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effects of the streamlining of grants for businesses announced in the pre-Budget report on those eligible to receive such grants; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Solutions for Businessthe simplification programme of business support announced prior to PBRstreamlines the large number of schemes into 30. These will be in place by 2009 and will help companies on issues such as business growth, getting started, finance, skills and the environment.

Bank Lending

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses of bank lending practices.

Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses of bank lending practices.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) earlier today.

Credit Availability

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the availability of credit to businesses.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs to the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Mr. Pelling) earlier today.

Credit Availability

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the effects on businesses of the availability of credit to them.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Mr. Pelling) earlier today.

Credit Availability

David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the availability of credit to businesses.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Mr. Pelling) earlier today.

Transition Loan Fund

George Howarth: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what criteria apply to the making of grants from the transition loan fund through regional development agencies.

Patrick McFadden: The Transition Funds build on the successful example of Advantage West Midlands' Transition Bridge Fund which helped businesses in the aftermath of the collapse of MG Rover.
	The key principle is that loans will be made on commercial terms, to viable businesses with good management.
	Loans from the fund will normally only be made where the existing financiers (including bankers) are, at the time of application to the fund, willing to maintain some borrowing facilities on agreed terms.
	Loans from the fund may not be used to pay down existing borrowings. Applicants, through their business plans, should be able to demonstrate a positive impact on jobs, either through job creation or job retention.

Balance of Payments

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the reasons for the UK's balance of payments deficit.

Gareth Thomas: The UK's current account deficit was equivalent to 3 per cent. of GDP in the second quarter of 2008. As the pre-budget report made clear we expect the current account deficit to narrow in 2009 due to changes in relative levels of demand in the UK and overseas and changes in the value of sterling.

Post Office

Alan Beith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the consultation programme carried out by the Post Office as part of the Network Change programme.

Patrick McFadden: The Network Change Programme is drawing to a close. Around 15 per cent. of proposals were changed during the pre-consultation phase and 87 closures and four outreach proposals were withdrawn during the public consultation period.

Utility Companies

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect on businesses of utility companies' charges.

Gareth Thomas: The Government make various assessments of cost pressures on industry, including utility costs, and maintains dialogue with industry on such issues through a number of channels, notably the Small Business Forum.

Manufacturing Sector

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received from representatives of the manufacturing sector on the global financial situation.

Ian Pearson: We continue to receive representations and views from all across the manufacturing sector employers, trade unions and others on a regular basis to discuss the global financial situation, as well as other issues that are of immediate concern.

Assistance for Businesses

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations his Department has received on provision of assistance for businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Department has regular dialogue with business on a wide range of issues, including the provision of assistance.

Internet Governance Forum

Alun Michael: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to promote engagement in the work of the Internet Governance Forum.

Gareth Thomas: The Government are committed to ensuring the success of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The UK Government are a leading donor supporting the IGF Secretariat this year, and will continue to seek to ensure that the benefits of this multi-stakeholder dialogue are maximised for both the UK and the international community, much of whose success is due to the efforts of my right hon. Friend.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding his Department is providing to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in 2008-09.

Ian Pearson: The Department's Action for Business Programme provides up to 7 billion of support to businesses in the UK.
	This year, over 140 million has been channelled through Business Link to offer direct support services to over 850,000 businesses, 360 million of lending has taken place through the Small Firms Loan Guarantee and 50 million has been committed through Enterprise Capital Funds.

Foreign Companies

Michael Meacher: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the proportion of UK-based industry in foreign ownership in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2003 in each of the 30 largest industrial sectors.

Gareth Thomas: The following information is available:
	
		
			  Percentage of output (gross value added (GVA)) generated by UK and foreign-owned companies: 2003-05 
			  Percentage 
			  Sector  Foreign owned  UK owned 
			  Manufacturing   
			 2003 (UK) 31 69 
			 2004 (GB) 32 68 
			 2005 (GB) 34 66 
			
			  Services( 1)   
			 2003 (UK) 16 84 
			 2004 (GB) 17 83 
			 2005 (GB) 18 82 
			
			  Other( 1)   
			 2003 (UK) 22 78 
			 2004 (GB) 24 76 
			 2005 (GB) 27 73 
			
			  Total( 1)   
			 2003 (UK) 20 80 
			 2004 (GB) 21 79 
			 2005 (GB) 22 78 
			 (1 )The Annual Business Inquiry does not cover all parts of the Services and Other categories.  Source: National Statistics (derived from Annual Business Inquiry regional data, published in Regional Competitiveness and State of the Regions, 2008 (BERR)

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Economic and Monetary Union

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department's officials last discussed the UK's prospective membership of the euro with the European Commission; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I will write to the right hon. Member shortly.

Gulf of Aden: Piracy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 19 November 2008,  Official Report, column 655W, on Gulf of Aden: piracy, if he will provide a breakdown of the UK's  (a) current and  (b) planned contribution to the (i) EU and (ii) NATO and Combined Force 150 counter-piracy missions in the Horn of Africa.

Bob Ainsworth: I have been asked to reply.
	In response to the increase in piracy in the Gulf of Aden, we are providing the operation commander and the operation headquarters to the European Security and Defence Policy operation. HMS Northumberland will be deployed for the first period of the operation.
	Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 has been providing deterrence in support of the World Food Programme in the Gulf of Aden since October. HMS Cumberland was attached to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and is now leaving the region as the NATO mission comes to an end. NATO is considering further options for countering piracy in the region.
	The UK will continue to provide a frigate to the Coalition Task Force 150 which contributes to a broad range of maritime security operations in the region including counter piracy. Our contribution to this Task Force will remain unaffected by contributions to NATO and/or EU counter-piracy operations.

Israel: Entry Clearances

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens have been refused entry into Israel at Ben Gurion Airport in each of the last three years; what records his Department holds on the reasons for refusal in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We do not hold records on the number of British nationals who have been refused entry at Ben Gurion Airport.

Israel: EU External Relations

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the recent vote by the European Parliament postponing a decision on involving Israel in the European Union's Community Programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The European Parliament's programme is a matter for that body. The UK supports the European Council decisions on developing the EU's relationship with Israel alongside work to advance peace in the middle east. Officials from the UK Representation to the EU will continue to monitor and engage with the European Parliament on this and other issues of interest.

Jeremy Hoyland

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the British Ambassador to Indonesia about the ongoing search for a missing British citizen, Jeremy Hoyland; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Indonesian Foreign Minister on the ongoing search for a missing British citizen, Jeremy Hoyland; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps his Department has taken to locate a missing British citizen, Jeremy Hoyland; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will make a statement about the ongoing search for a missing British citizen, Jeremy Hoyland.

Bill Rammell: Jeremy Hoyland went missing at sea on 24 October in Indonesian waters. The search and rescue operation is the responsibility of the Indonesian authorities, namely the Indonesian police, the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency and the Indonesian Navy. However, officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth office have been closely involved in the case from the first day of Mr. Hoyland's disappearance, liaising with the Indonesian authorities and providing consular assistance to the family, in Indonesia and on their return to the United Kingdom.
	To support the honorary consul and the British consulate in Bali, the deputy head of mission and consul from the our embassy in Jakarta travelled to Bali to meet Mr. Hoyland's family on their arrival, and to assist them in meeting senior representatives of the search teams involved.
	Our ambassador to Indonesia has taken action to ensure that Mr. Hoyland's disappearance is well publicised around the area where he went missing, including recording an appeal message to be distributed to around 50 local radio stations in the area. Consular officials in London have provided updates to the family, and acted on requests for information by approaching the appropriate authorities in Indonesia.
	I met Mr. Hoyland's family on 8 December to discuss the case, and identify further action to be taken.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the search for Mr. Hoyland with our ambassador to Indonesia, nor with the Foreign Minister of Indonesia.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on terrorist attacks in Israel since October 2008; what discussions he has had with the government of Israel on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: In October and November 2008, 168 rockets and 157 mortars were fired on Israel from Gaza (figures from the Israeli Foreign Ministry ). As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear, including during his visit to the region, such attacks on Israel must stop and it is in both Hamas and Israel's interests to reinforce the ceasefire which began in June. It is also imperative that Israeli operations and restrictions do not cause suffering to the civilian population of Gaza.

Rashid Rauf

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that Mr. Rashid Rauf was killed in the US air strike of 21 November 2008 in North Waziristan, Pakistan.

Bill Rammell: We do not have confirmation of the death of Rashid Rauf. Following a request from his family, we have requested official confirmation from the Government of Pakistan.

Rashid Rauf

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to  (a) the Government of Pakistan and  (b) the Government of the USA on the reported death of Mr. Rashid Rauf on 21 November 2008.

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the US Administration on the reported killing of Rashid Rauf in Pakistan.

Bill Rammell: We do not have confirmation of the death of Rashid Rauf. Following a request from his family, we have requested official confirmation from the Government of Pakistan.
	No specific representation has been made to the US Administration.

Russia: BBC External Services

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff at BBC Monitoring Caversham  (a) there are in total and  (b) monitor Russian-language broadcasts.

Caroline Flint: At BBC Monitoring Caversham there are 301 staff in total and 14 staff monitoring Russian language broadcasts.

Russia: BBC External Services

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the audience for the BBC Russian internet service is based in  (a) Russia,  (b) other former Soviet Union countries,  (c) the UK and (d) other countries.

Caroline Flint: The geographic distribution of users of the website of the BBC Russian Service varies from month to month.
	Of those BBCRussian.com users in November 2008 whose locations were known, the breakdown is as follows:
	 (a) Russia 53 per cent.
	 (b) Other Former Soviet Union countries 17 per cent.
	 (c) UK 3 per cent.
	 (d) Other countries 27 per cent.

Russia: BBC External Services

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in  (a) the US Administration and  (b) other European countries on offering joint Russian language radio services for international audiences.

Caroline Flint: Neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office nor the BBC World Service have had such discussions with other broadcasters in recent years. The BBC previously sought partnerships with Russian operators for FFM broadcasting but these presently are not possible. The BBC World Service has concentrated its efforts on improving BBC Russia through the recent changes implemented.

Russia: BBC External Services

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the location is of the transmitters for the BBC Russian Service.

Caroline Flint: BBC World Service's transmitters for the Russian Service are located in the UK and Europe.

Russia: Foreign Relations

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment of the state of UK-Russia relations is.

Caroline Flint: Russia is important to achieving UK objectives in many areas, including regional security, energy and climate change. The UK has serious concerns over Russian policy and actions in Georgia, and is supporting multilateral efforts to broker solutions.
	Significant differences remain unresolved in bilateral relations, including over the Litvinenko case and the British Council's work in Russia, on which we continue to pursue satisfactory outcomes.
	The Government engage with Russia in pursuit of UK interests, including through high level dialogue. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Medvedev in the margins of the G20 summit in Washington to discuss the international financial crisis. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Lavrov most recently on 4 December in the margins of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe ministerial in Helsinki.
	Although the strong trade and investment relationship between Russia and the UK has been hit by the financial crisis, both the Lord Mayor of London and my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Lord Mandelson, have led business delegations to Russia this autumn to promote the interests of British business and encourage co-operation between governments on trade and investment. The Government have supported both the From Russia exhibition in London and the Turner exhibition in Moscow.

Syria: Terrorism

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to make representations to the Syrian government in respect of honours they have bestowed on convicted Islamist terrorist Sumar Kuntar; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

World War II: Military Intelligence

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will release into the public domain the 1,949 files his Department holds relating to Englandspiel, with specific reference to files detailing the responses given to the Dutch governments, redacting names as necessary.

Bill Rammell: The vast majority of files relating to Englandspiel are already in the public domain at The National Archives. There are a small number of papers that are currently retained on national security grounds. These papers are re-reviewed on a regular basis.

JUSTICE

Archives: Publicity

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking in conjunction with the National Archives to improve  (a) standards in and  (b) awareness of the archive sector, including local and private archives.

Michael Wills: The National Archives has a key role within Government to support all parts of the archives sector in the United Kingdom by providing both strategic and practical advice on all aspects of records and archives management.
	It is taking forward a range of activities to help raise standards including:
	Facilitating an annual self-assessment exercise for local authority funded archives to help raise the standards of the services they provide to the public;
	Issuing a range of written guidance, available on The National Archives' website (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) on all matters relating to the creation, management, care, and use of records and archives and all strategic issues arising from this;
	Offering bespoke strategic and operational advice to archive service on many aspects of archives administration and information management;
	Administering 335,000 worth of grants to help archives tackle their backlogs in cataloguing records.
	The National Archives is also taking steps to raise awareness of the archives sector. It is working closely, for example, with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council to fund the Archives Awareness Campaign, run by The National Council on Archives, which aims to improve awareness of archives among the general public and to improve engagement with younger people and black and ethnic minority communities.
	To ensure its long-term sustainability, they are also working together to enable the sector to raise its capability, channel its resources more effectively and share best practice.

Corporate Management Board

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much each member of his Department's Corporate Management Board has claimed in expenses since his Department was established; what the purpose was of each such claim; and how much has been paid by his Department in response to such claims.

Jack Straw: All employees of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) are subject to its policy on travel and subsistence and are expected to comply with the requirements of that policy. The MOJ does not keep details of individual claims made by current or past members of the corporate management board (CMB). It would be disproportionately expensive to ascertain this information.
	Non-executive members of CMB are not employees of the MOJ. In addition to a daily fee, the Department will pay all reasonable expenses properly and necessarily incurred in respect of their appointment to CMB, in accordance with those expenses and limits paid by the Department to civil servants.

Corporate Management Board

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the role is of each member of his Department's Corporate Management Board; and what tasks and responsibilities have been allocated to each member.

Jack Straw: The role of the members of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) corporate management board (CMB) and their functional descriptions are published on the MOJ website at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/moj-organisational-structure-functional-descriptions.pdf
	The information can also be found in the MOJ annual report which is also available on the MOJ website at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/annual-report-2008.htm

Corporate Management Board

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what dates each member of his Department's Corporate Management Board has undertaken work on his Department's behalf since the Department was established; and which of these duties have been performed at places other than on the Government or Parliamentary estates.

Jack Straw: The executive members of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) corporate management board (CMB) are full-time employees of the MOJ.
	The non-executive members of CMB are not employees of the Department. The non-executive members of CMB are contracted individually for a period of time. They are appointed to provide external advice and expertise, to attend meetings and to perform associated activities.
	It would incur a disproportionate cost to ascertain which of the board member duties have been performed at places other than on the Government or parliamentary estates.

Corporate Management Board

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what terms and conditions have been attached to the appointment of each member of his Department's Corporate Management Board.

Jack Straw: All executive members of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) corporate management board (CMB) are employed by the Ministry and are subject the Ministry's terms and conditions of employment. There are no separate terms or conditions associated with their appointment as board members.
	The non-executive members of CMB are not employees of the Ministry of Justice. There is no contract of employment. They are appointed to attend meetings of the CMB and associated commitments, and to provide external advice and expertise.

Corporate Management Board

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) remuneration and  (b) bonuses and other benefits each member of his Department's Corporate Management Board has received since the establishment of the Department; and what estimate he has made of further such remuneration and benefit to be received in the financial year 2008-09.

Jack Straw: All executive members of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Corporate Management Board (CMB) are members of the senior civil service whose pay is governed by a centrally determined pay system for which Cabinet Office is responsible. The Ministry of Justice, along with all other Departments, applies the pay system to its senior civil service members in accordance with guidance provided by Cabinet Office following the recommendations of the Senior Salaries Review Body. Future remuneration will depend on the recommendations of this independent review body.
	The gross salary and bonuses received during the financial year 2007-08 for each member of the MoJ Corporate Management Board can be found in the Ministry's audited accounts. In accordance with the Financial Reporting Manual issued by HM Treasury, the Ministry of Justice discloses the salary details of each board member, including any allowance, in bands of 5,000. Presentation in this form is required in order to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. These accounts were laid before Parliament in July.
	The current non-executive members of CMB were appointed in April 2008. The fee paid to non-executive board members will be disclosed in the annual departmental accounts, in accordance with the Financial Reporting Manual issued by HM Treasury.
	The current daily fee for each non-executive member of CMB is 500 per day. The fee is reviewed annually in line with the Retail Price Index.

Corporate Management Board

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training and guidance has been provided for each member of his Department's Corporate Management Board on  (a) mediation and  (b) the Government's alternative dispute resolution pledge; and (i) when and (ii) by whom such training and guidance was provided.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has a number of trained workplace mediators who deal with issues involving disputes between two or more employees. Training and guidance on alternative dispute resolution is not provided to members of the Corporate Management Board, though training can be provided for members of staff if requested.

Corporate Management Board

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures govern the appointment of a lead negotiator by his Department's Corporate Management Board in cases of mediation; and whether such negotiators are given authority to settle matters referred for mediation in circumstances where the appropriate remedy is determined to be  (a) the provision of apologies reflecting upon the reputation of the Department,  (b) financial and  (c) another remedy.

Jack Straw: Cases are considered on an individual basis.

Departmental Mediation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many mediations his Department has participated in since its establishment;
	(2)  who was appointed as lead negotiator in each of the mediations in which his Department has participated since the establishment of his Department;
	(3)  how much his Department has spent on alternative dispute resolution including mediation on  (a) training provided by external providers including the Treasury Solicitor's Department,  (b) subscriptions to related instruction and  (c) facilitation fees; and to whom such payments have been made since the establishment of his Department;
	(4)  what training and guidance on alternative dispute resolution including mediation has been  (a) published on his Department's intranet and  (b) otherwise provided to those of his Department's staff who are involved in resolving disputes in which his Department is a party.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice is involved in number of different forms of mediation. These may be internal resolution of conflict for members of staff or alternatives to court activity. The Ministry of Justice does not maintain a record of the number of cases where mediation has been used. However, we are aware of at least 10 mediations conducted since May 2007 when the Ministry of Justice was established.
	The Ministry of Justice does not maintain a record of facilitation fees. Members of the Department's legal team attend such training courses as are necessary, although we have no specific record of the expenditure on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) training. Members of the Department's legal team may also attend the ADR awareness sessions run by the Treasury Solicitor's Department.
	The Ministry of Justice also has a number of trained workplace mediators who deal with issues involving disputes between employees. Training and guidance on alternative dispute resolution is not published on the Ministry of Justice's intranet.

Departmental Pay

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what bonuses were paid by his Department in 2007-08; to which members of staff; and for what purposes.

Michael Wills: Bonus payments within the Ministry of Justice may be made either as year-end bonuses, which are paid to high performing staff to reflect their individual contribution throughout the previous performance year, or as in year bonuses, paid to recognise exceptional achievements during the performance year.
	For the financial year 2007-08, a total of 2,535 year-end bonuses and 5,327 in year bonuses were paid. These payments to staff amounted to a total of 5,748,037.
	This figure includes bonuses paid to senior civil servants, totalling 1,717,322, in the 2007-08 financial year. SCS bonuses were allocated in accordance with guidelines issued by the Cabinet Office following the Senior Salaries Review Body recommendations as recognition of achievement. The remaining amount of 4,030,715 was allocated to staff below SCS level.
	The payment of bonuses, which are non-consolidated and non-pensionable, to high performing individuals, is a part of the Department's reward strategy. Such payments are a cost-effective means of encouraging and rewarding high performance. An additional amount of 0.02 per cent. of paybill is set aside for more general reward and recognition purposes.

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department and its agencies are members of the  (a) Classic,  (b) Classic Plus,  (c) Nuvos and  (d) Premium civil service pension schemes.

Michael Wills: Information as at November 2008 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of staff in scheme  Proportion of staff in each scheme (percentage 
			  (a) Classic 39,404 48.93 
			
			  (b) and (d) Classic Plus + Premium Civil Service Pension Scheme 29,606 36.76 
			
			  (c) Nuvos 7,126 8.84 
		
	
	The figures provided do not include employees who have elected to join a Partnership pension scheme or have opted out of the pension. Therefore the figures provided do not total 100 per cent. of employees currently in the Department.
	It is not possible to differentiate between those employees in the Premium pension scheme and those in the Classic + pension scheme. They are not recorded separately on the pension records held by the Department's payroll provider and would be available only at disproportionate cost, if at all.

Disability Equality Duty

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of its duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Shahid Malik: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for disabled people and welcomes its responsibilities under the Disability Equality Duty.
	The Department published its corporate Disability Equality Scheme in April 2008 and has recently published its Secretary of State Report on Disability Equality. Key priorities identified by our stakeholders with disabilities are access to justice; offender management and participation in public life.
	The MOJ will be publishing its first Disability Equality Scheme (DES) annual review in summer 2009 in which related actions on these priority areas will be reported on.

Employment Tribunals Service: Compensation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much compensation was awarded by employment tribunals in each year since 2003-04, broken down by jurisdiction.

Bridget Prentice: The employment tribunals only retain details of awards for the following jurisdictions; unfair dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of sex, race and disability. Compensatory awards in cases of discrimination on the grounds of age, religious belief and sexual orientation will be provided from 2007-08 onwards. Details of the awards for the period of 2003-04 to 2006-07 are listed as follows. We are not yet in a position to release figures for the year 2007-08.
	
		
			  Unfair dismissal 
			   Average award ()  Total number of awards  Total compensation () 
			 2003-04 7,275 2,843 20,682,825 
			 2004-05 7,303 2,383 17,403,049 
			 2005-06 8,679 2,410 20,916,390 
			 2006-07 7,974 3,309 26,385,966 
		
	
	
		
			  Race Discrimination 
			   Average award ()  Total number of awards  Total compensation () 
			 2003-04 26,660 80 2,132,800 
			 2004-05 19,114 59 1,127,726 
			 2005-06 30,361 73 2,216.353 
			 2006-07 14,049 95 1,334,655 
		
	
	
		
			  Sex  Discrimination 
			   Average award ()  Total number of awards  Total compensation () 
			 2003-04 12,971 221 2,866,591 
			 2004-05 14,158 170 2,406,860 
			 2005-06 10,807 168 1,815,576 
			 2006-07 10,052 194 1,950,088 
		
	
	
		
			  Disability Discrimination 
			   Average award ()  Total number of awards  Total compensation () 
			 2003-04 16,214 77 1,248,478 
			 2004-05 17,736 88 1,560,768 
			 2005-06 19,360 76 1,471,360 
			 2006-07 15,059 116 1,746,844

Employment Tribunals Service: Compensation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many unpaid employment tribunal monetary awards were registered in county courts in each year since 2003-04.

Bridget Prentice: The following table shows the number of tribunal awards registered in the county courts of England and Wales for the purposes of enforcement in each year since 2003-04. In 2007-08, these registrations account for approximately 4 per cent. of total tribunal disposals. Figures relating solely to unpaid employment tribunal monetary awards are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of tribunal awards issued in the county courts of England and Wales since 2003-04 
			   Number 
			 2003-04 28,479 
			 2004-05 26,879 
			 2005-06 25.764 
			 2006-07 22,987 
			 2007-08(1) 20,911 
			 (1) Figures for the latest year are provisional

Government Departments: Information

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to improve the capacity of Government Departments and agencies to manage knowledge and information in the light of guidance recently issued in his Department's document Information Matters.

Michael Wills: Information Matters: building government's capability in managing knowledge and information was published on 18 November. An implementation plan for this strategy will be published in spring 2009. The strategy will help Departments manage their information more effectively. It will also develop knowledge and information management professionals within government to ensure that capability across the civil service is raised to deliver more effective services to citizens.

High Visibility Payback Scheme

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the high visibility payback scheme in meeting its objectives; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Probation areas have been required to promote the unpaid work community sentence to the public as community payback since 2005. This has been done in a number of ways, including the use of signs on work sites and vehicles. Probation areas have also done imaginative work to generate local publicity in order to increase public awareness of the work done by offenders to improve local communities.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor announced that offenders sentenced to unpaid work will be required to wear distinctive high visibility clothing from 1 December. Further work is being undertaken to determine the level of public awareness community payback.

Intellectual Property: Training

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the merits of training in intellectual property law for judges and magistrates and their advisers; and what guidance has been issued to the Judicial Studies Board pursuant to recommendation 44 of the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property.

Jack Straw: Responsibility for judicial training lies with the Lord Chief Justice as head of the judiciary and is exercised through the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), an independent body chaired by Lord Justice Maurice Kay. It would not therefore be appropriate for me to issue guidance on judicial training to the JSB.
	The JSB's Magisterial Committee considered this recommendation. Because of the infrequency and relatively straightforward nature of such cases heard in the magistrates courts, and the fact that magistrates have qualified legal advisers to advise them on the principles involved, it was not thought appropriate to train all magistrates and legal advisers.
	A paper entitled The law relating to criminal offences involving infringement of intellectual property rights was commissioned from a senior QC and is available to judicial office holders and legal advisers on the JSB training website.
	Intellectual Property is a specialist area dealt with by a small cadre of specialist judges. It has not been the practice of the JSB to focus on teaching specialist substantive law, and the primary responsibility remains with judges (as with professional lawyers) for updating themselves. The relevant jurisdictional law still provides the background for all JSB training and any important changes will be highlighted at relevant training events.

Legal Services Ombudsman

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases the legal services ombudsman has dealt with in each of the last five years; how many of these have found in favour of the individual making the complaint; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: In 2004, 1,327 reports were issued502 were in favour of the complainant.
	In 2005, 1,928 reports were issued634 were in favour of the complainant.
	In 2006, 1,866 reports were issued578 were in favour of the complainant.
	In 2007, 1,777 reports were issued555 were in favour of the complainant.
	In 2008 (up to 30 November 2008), 1,820 reports were issued of which 512 were in favour of the complainant.

National Offender Management Service: Finance

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the National Offender Management Service has cost in each year since its inception.

David Hanson: The creation of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) was announced in January 2004. The Resource and Capital expenditure outturn (DEL and AME) in each year are given in the following table.
	Figures for 2004-05 to 2006-07 are taken from the Ministry of Justice Departmental Report 2007-8. Figures for 2007-08 are derived from the Ministry of Justice Annual Accounts 2007-08
	The figures reflect the structure of NOMS before the creation of the new NOMS Agency from 2008-09.
	
		
			   million 
			   Resource  Capital 
			 2007-08 4,722 577 
			 2006-07 4,358 400 
			 2005-06 4,034 354 
			 2004-05 3,680 403

National Offender Management Service: Manpower

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many are employed in the National Offender Management Service Head Office; and how many of these are former employees of the  (a) probation and  (b) prison service.

Shahid Malik: 4,270 staff are employed in National Offender Management Service Headquarters. Of these, 113 transferred from the National Probation Service, 742 transferred from the former National Offender Management Service HQ, and 3,415 from the Prison Service Headquarters.

National Offender Management Service: Manpower

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons have been seconded from  (a) the Probation Service and  (b) the Prison Service to work in the National Offender Management Service's headquarters.

Shahid Malik: There are currently 98 probation service staff on secondment into the National Offender Management Service headquarters. Prison Service staff share the same terms and conditions as other directly employed staff working in the National Offender Management Service headquarters and are therefore not on secondment.

Open Prisons: Prisoner Escapes

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many absconds there were from open prisons in England and Wales in each of the last 24 months; and how many offences were committed by such offenders while unlawfully at large.

David Hanson: Levels of absconding have been falling steadily for some years now and are currently at their lowest levels since central recording of these data began in 1995. The following table shows the numbers of prisoners absconding from prisons in England and Wales in each of the last 24 months and numbers of further offences committed while unlawfully at large.
	
		
			  Prisoners absconding from prisons in England and Wales and number of further offences committed while unlawfully at large 
			  Month  Total prisoners absconding  Further offences committed while unlawfully at large 
			 December 2006 44 3 
			 January 2007 31 3 
			 February 2007 44 8 
			 March 2007 51 7 
			 April 2007 49 7 
			 May 2007 41 5 
			 June 2007 53 4 
			 July 2007 35 9 
			 August 2007 50 10 
			 September 2007 42 10 
			 October 2007 44 8 
			 November 2007 50 5 
			 December 2007 55 7 
			 January 2008 26 2 
			 February 2008 32 7 
			 March 2008 37 6 
			 April 2008 41  
			 May 2008 28 1 
			 June 2008 36 6 
			 July 2008 18 1 
			 August 2008 37 7 
			 September 2008 31 1 
			 October 2008 38  
			 November 2008 31 2 
			 Total 944 125 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
	Figures on absconds and a range of other prison performance statistics are also available at:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/abouttheservice/prisonperformance/performancestatistics/

Prevention of Corruption Act 1906

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.

Maria Eagle: The Government believe the current law on bribery, including the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, is functional but fragmented and needs to be brought up to date. We announced in the Legislative Programme our intention to publish a draft Bribery Bill this Session which would replace the existing Prevention of Corruption Acts. We are currently assessing the Law Commission's report on 'Reforming Bribery' that was published on 20 November 2008.

Prisoners: Crimes of Violence

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what programmes were operating in prisons in relation to prisoners who were serving sentences for hate crimes at the latest date for which information is available;
	(2)  what  (a) funding and  (b) other assistance his Department is providing to the Anne Frank Trust for its projects involving offenders in prison and young offenders institutions in 2008-09;
	(3)  what programmes his Department has put in place to work with those convicted of hate crime to reduce their levels of re-offending;
	(4)  what programmes his Department has put in place to work with those people for whom hatred or racism played a part in their crime to reduce their re-offending;
	(5)  which  (a) prisons and  (b) probation services have established programmes to reduce rates of re-offending amongst individuals imprisoned for hate crimes.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) offers a range of accredited programmes for offenders based on their specific behavioural needs as well as other activities such as education, work, resettlement and training. The programmes are accredited to be responsive to the diverse needs of offenders. There are no accredited offending behaviour programmes targeted specifically at offenders who have been convicted or are serving sentences for crimes where hate or racism was an aggravating factor. Many of the existing accredited programmes address risk factors found in such offenders.
	Some establishments and probation areas also deliver non-accredited programmes which are agreed locally to meet a particular need. Information on all these courses is not currently collated centrally. NOMS is aware that Merseyside, West Yorkshire and London probation areas have developed local packages to address issues around hatred and racially motivated offending.
	NOMS is currently undertaking a census of non-accredited programmes delivered in custody and the community, which will show the number and type of programmes available for hate crime offenders. Following the census, there will be a programme of work to assess the benefits of certain interventions in addressing particular types of offending. Locally developed programmes that tackle hate crime are likely to fall into scope for such a review.
	Work with the Anne Frank Trust has been agreed locally by some prisons and young offender institutions to meet particular needs. Details of the funding arrangements and nature of the assistance provided are not centrally recorded.

Prisoners: Rehabilitation

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are receiving housing advice in preparation for resettlement.

Shahid Malik: All offenders in custody in England and Wales have access to housing advice in preparation for their release. All prisons that release offenders provide advice and assistance (over 130 prisons) in seeking new accommodation for those offenders who are in housing need. Additionally, all offenders entering custody have their accommodation status assessed within the first four days of custody to signpost further assistance where necessary.

Prisoners: Rehabilitation

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what re-settlement support is made available by his Department to prisoners seeking employment.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) works in partnership with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Job Centre Plus (JCP), and is engaged with employers nationally, regionally, and locally to offer training and employment to offenders.
	Job Centre Plus have employment and benefit advisers located in most prisons to provide prisoners with advice and information about employment opportunities available on release, and can arrange an appointment with a new claims adviser prior to release. Prisoners can also be fast tracked on to the New Deal employment programme.
	NOMS recognises that it is more difficult for offenders to find employment if they have problems accessing accommodation and financial services. We are currently working with key stakeholders to explore and formally pilot initiatives such as accessing bank accounts whilst in custody, rent arrears payment schemes and preventing accommodation loss.
	The Ministry of Justice also has established a corporate alliance of over 100 employers working to maximise employment opportunities for prisoners prior to and on release.

Prisons: Alcoholic Drinks

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were engaged in alcohol-related intervention programmes in 2007-08, broken down by method of intervention.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not collate figures centrally on the number of prisoners accessing services specifically aimed at their alcohol misuse.
	A range of interventions are available in prisons to support those with an alcohol problem:
	clinical servicesalcohol detoxification is available in all local and remand prisons;
	where alcohol is part of a wider substance misuse problem, the full range of drug interventions are available;
	a number of prisons run alcohol awareness courses;
	Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) run groups in around 67 per cent. of prisons;
	some offending behaviour programmes address the underlying factors which occur in alcohol related crime;
	an accredited 12-step alcohol programme is being run at HMP Bullingdon;
	a further four more intensive interventions Cognitive Behavioural Alcohol Programmes are being piloted at HMP Hull, Forest Bank, Glen Parva and Chelmsford;
	for those prisons(ers) involved in the roll-out of the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) a 90 minute alcohol awareness session has been developed; and
	the young persons substance misuse service for 16 to 18-year-old prisoners has a particular focus on alcohol.

Prisons: Drugs

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were engaged in drug-related intervention during 2007-08, broken down by method of intervention.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has in place a comprehensive drug treatment framework, based on the National Treatment Agency's revised Models of Care, to address the different needs of drug-misusers in prison. The interventions available are designed to meet the needs of low, moderate and severe drug misusersirrespective of age, gender or ethnicity.
	NOMS does not collate centrally the number of individual prisoners accessing drug interventions. However, the following table shows the number of interventions delivered in the last full financial year (2007-08) in adult prisons by intervention type. Individual prisoners may have accessed more than one of these interventions in the time period.
	
		
			  Intervention type  Interventions delivered 2007-08 
			 Intensive Drug Rehabilitation Programmes(1) (starts) 11,319 
			 CARATs (substance misuse triage assessments) 65,823 
			 Substance misuse detoxification programmes(2) 46,291 
			 Maintenance prescribing programmes 12,518 
			 Total 135,951 
			 (1) Programmes available in prison are split into four main categories: cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), The 12-Step approach, Therapeutic Communities (TCs), Short Duration Programme (SDP). (2) Drug and alcohol detoxification data cannot be disaggregated.

Prisons: Finance

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent reductions there have been to budgets of  (a) prisons and  (b) other detention facilities in respect of the financial year 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prison budgets for 2008-09 have not been reduced below 2007-08 levels. However, among various changes to prison budgets (e.g. for inflation, increased capacity, efficiency measures etc.) there was a package of savings totalling 29 million directed at public sector prisons, which included local efficiencies; further clustering of services; and a standardisation of the core day in most prisons which took place in June 2008.
	Spending on prisons has increased in real terms by 42 per cent. since 1996-97 (to 2007-08).

Prostitution: Offenders

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of common prostitution, loitering or soliciting for the purpose of prostitution under the terms of the Street Offences Act 1959 in each of the last two years; and how many of them were (i) UK citizens, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) non- EU foreign nationals;
	(2)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of placing an advertisement relating to prostitution in each of the last two years; and how many of them were (i) UK citizens, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) non-EU foreign nationals;
	(3)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of kerb-crawling in each of the last two years; and how many of them were (i) UK citizens, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) non-EU foreign nationals.

Maria Eagle: The information requested covering offences relating to prostitution is provided in the table for 2006 and 2007 (latest available). The data held centrally by my Department on the Court Proceedings Database do not contain information about the nationality status of the offender other than the information that may be gleaned from the offence itself.
	The figures given relate to defendants for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to prostitution, by year, 2006 and 2007( 1,2) 
			2006  2007 
			  Offence  Statute  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Common prostitute loitering or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution Street Offences Act 1959 845 648 874 526 
			 Placing of advertisement relating to prostitution Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 431 392 366 341 
			 Kerb crawling Sexual Offences Act 1985 625 532 554 491 
			 (1) Figures given are on a principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis unit

Reoffenders

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the re-offending rate is for offenders  (a) one year and  (b) two years after leaving custody.

David Hanson: Table 1 as follows shows the one year reoffending rates for offenders leaving custody in the first quarter of the years 2000 to 2006 (data for 2001 are unavailable due to problems with archived data for community sentences). The table shows the proportion of offenders that committed at least one further offence and the number of further offences committed per 100 offenders.
	
		
			  Table 1: One year reoffending rates, offenders leaving custody, 2000-06 
			   Number of offenders  Proportion of offenders offending  (one year) (percentage)  Number of offences per 100 offenders  (one year) 
			 2000 15,727 51.4 245.5 
			 2002 15,578 55.0 288.2 
			 2003 14,358 53.9 279.1 
			 2004 15,761 51.9 253.1 
			 2005 14,595 49.1 228.5 
			 2006 14,380 46.5 208.4 
		
	
	Two year reoffending rates are available for the 2000 to 2005 cohorts. For these cohorts, the only figures available are the proportion of offenders who committed a further offence within two years. These figures are shown in table 2 as follows.
	
		
			  Table 2: Two year reoffending rates, offenders leaving custody, 2000-05 
			   Number of offenders  Proportion of offenders offending (two years) (percentage) 
			 2000 16,527 64.8 
			 2002 15,887 67.4 
			 2003 15,305 65.8 
			 2004 16,385 64.7 
			 2005 14,713 62.1 
		
	
	It should be noted that comparisons between the one and two year rates should be interpreted with caution. This is due to a slight improvement in the method used to count offenders released from custody (or starting court orders under probation supervision) when we moved to measuring reoffending over one year rather than two.
	Further information on the one year rates of reoffending can be found at;
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm.
	Further information on the two year rates can be found at;
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb2505.pdf
	We have had real success in reducing the reoffending of offenders released from custody. Between 2000 and 2006 the number of reoffences committed by offenders released from custody has fallen 15.1 per cent.
	Overall, the most recent reoffending statistics, published in September 2008, demonstrated that reoffending frequency fell among adult offenders in 2006.
	The figures showed a 22.9 per cent. fall in the frequency rate from 189.4 to 146.1 offences per 100 offenders between 2000 and 2006.The number of adult reoffences classified as most serious fell 11.1 per cent. from 0.78 to 0.69 offences per 100 offenders.

Reoffenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect on reoffending rates of the change in the core day introduced in 2008.

David Hanson: The measurement of reoffending is taken over a period of a year therefore an analysis of the impact of the core day on reoffending, if any, will be available at the end of 2009.

Re-offenders: Mentally Ill

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the reoffending rate among prisoners suffering from severe psychiatric disorders in each year between 2003-04 and 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: There are no relevant figures for prisoners, but they are published for offenders who have been diverted to hospital. The bulletin, 'Statistics of Mentally Disordered Offenders', covering England and Wales, summarises information about mentally disordered offenders detained as 'restricted patients' in psychiatric hospitals; it also provides information on their re-offending rates. The last bulletin is for 2006:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/publications.htm
	This shows that, for the combined figures of those released in 1999-2004 and then followed up for two years, 2 per cent. re-offended through violent or sexual offences; and 7 per cent. through any offence. These figures only relate to those first released on a conditional discharge, and exclude those recalled.

Repossession Orders: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court orders have been issued for the repossession of homes in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each year since 2001.

Bridget Prentice: Although figures for the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency are not available, the following table shows the number of mortgage and landlord possession orders made in Bromley, Dartford, Gravesend and Woolwich county courts from 2001 onwards.
	The civil procedure rules state that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated.
	Obviously, Bromley, Dartford, Gravesend and Woolwich county courts also cover areas other than Bexleyheath and Crayford and therefore not all possession actions at these courts will relate to this constituency.
	Court level statistics on mortgage and landlord repossession actions from 1987 to 2007 are available on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/mortgatelandlordpossession.htm.
	These figures do not indicate how many homes have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made, while not all court orders result in repossession.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of mortgage( 1)  possession orders made( 4,5)  in Bromley, Dartford, Gravesend( 6)  and Woolwich county courts, 2001 onwards 
			   Bromley  Woolwich  Dartford  Gravesend  Total 
			 2001 327 132 291 89 839 
			 2002 406 215 268 89 978 
			 2003 555 214 290 86 1,145 
			 2004 599 349 404 131 1,483 
			 2005 1,047 642 552 202 2,443 
			 2006 1,131 911 719 216 2,977 
			 2007 1,062 1,044 939  3,045 
			 2008  (Jan-Oct) 956 668 780  2,404 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of landlord( 2,3)  possession orders made( 4,5)  in Bromley, Dartford, Gravesend( 6)  and Woolwich county courts, 2001 onwards 
			   Bromley  Woolwich  Dartford  Gravesend  Total 
			 2001 1,641 1,401 618 193 3,853 
			 2002 1,709 1,356 560 206 3,831 
			 2003 1,412 1,259 461 252 3,384 
			 2004 1,264 1,223 458 195 3,140 
			 2005 1,361 1,373 489 195 3,418 
			 2006 1,266 1,026 492 155 2,939 
			 2007 1,307 990 704  3,001 
			 2008  (Jan-Oct) 937 763 706  2,406 
			 (1) Mortgage possession data include all types of lenders whether local authority or private. (2) Landlord possession data include all types of landlord whether social or private. (3) Includes orders made through both standard and accelerated procedures. (4) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the order. (5) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (6) Gravesend county court closed in November 2006 with cases redirected to Dartford county court.  Note: Figures for 2008 are provisional.  Source: Ministry of Justice

Tackling Knives Action Programme

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many persons convicted for carrying a knife in one of the 10 Tackling Knives Action Programme pilots have  (a) been sentenced to custody and  (b) been given a community programme that did not involve unpaid work;
	(2)  how many  (a) adults,  (b) 18 to 21 year olds and  (c) juveniles were sentenced for offences involving a knife or other bladed article in (i) Greater Manchester, (ii) Lancashire, (iii) London, (iv) the West Midlands, (v) West Yorkshire, (vi) the Thames Valley, (vii) Merseyside, (viii) Essex, (ix) Nottinghamshire and (x) South Wales in (A) August, (B) September, (C) October and (D) November 2008; how many in each age category in each area received a (1) custodial and (2) community sentence; and of those receiving a community sentence, how many were ordered to undertake a 300 hour community payback sentence on up to five days each week.

David Hanson: Finalised data for sentencing for knife and offensive weapon possession in the 10 Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP) areas in 2008 will not be available until Sentencing Statistics 2008 is published in November 2009. However, as part of TKAP, provisional data from management information systems are being gathered. These data are not sufficiently robust to be broken down into the detail requested, and will be subject to continual revision.
	In the TKAP areas in August and September 2008 (the most recent period for which data are available), the Police National Computer records that 768 community sentences and 529 custodial sentences were given for knife and offensive weapon possession. More detail is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Sentences for knife and offensive weapon possession in August and September 2008 split by age from police national computer 
			  Age band  Community sentences  Custodial sentences( 1) 
			 10 to 17 307 36 
			 18 to 20 139 104 
			 21 and over 322 389 
			 All ages 768 529 
			 (1) Excludes suspended sentence orders. 
		
	
	Data from the Probation Service relating to unpaid work requirements under Community Orders started in England and Wales with a sentence length of 300 hours; indicate fewer than 10 in 2007, and data are still being finalised for 2008 as it is unusual for the courts to sentence at the very maximum of any disposal. There were 269 Community Orders started for possession of offensive weapons in the 10 TKAP areas between July and September 2008 which did not involve unpaid work.
	All the figures quoted in this answer have been taken from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Tackling Knives Action Programme

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons have been made the subject of an unpaid work requirement in the Tackling Knives Action Programme pilots.

David Hanson: The number of persons given an unpaid work requirement with a Community or Suspended Sentence Order for the offence of possession of an offensive weapon in the 10 Tackling Knives Action Programme areas during the period July-September is shown as follows. Note that the figures stated are provisional and will not be finalised until the publication of the Quarterly Probation brief in January of next year.
	
		
			   Number 
			 July 187 
			 August 152 
			 September 173 
			 Total 512 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. As with any large scale recording system, these are subject to possible data entry and processing errors.

Young Offender Institutions: Crimes of Violence

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many incidents of violence between inmates have been recorded in Feltham A and Feltham B young offender institution in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many and what punishments have been issued by the Governor of Feltham A and B young offender institution to inmates involved in violence within the institution in the last six months.

David Hanson: Central NOMS data do not use the term 'incidents of violence'; information is recorded under the term assaults. The following tables show incidents of prisoner on prisoner assaults in Feltham A and Feltham B in the last 12 months.
	The information is set out in the tables and is subject to important qualifications. The NOMS incident reporting system processes high volumes of data which are constantly being updated. The numbers provide an indication of overall numbers but should not be interpreted as absolute.
	Assault data are complex and the numbers need to be interpreted with caution. Information recorded as assault incidents may involve one or many prisoners as some assault incidents may involve more than one assailant or more than one victim.
	The numbers supplied refer to the number of individual assault incidents. The numbers refer to all incidents recorded as assaults; these may also include threatening behaviour, projection of bodily fluids and other non-contact events and allegations.
	Ministers, NOMS and the Prison Officers' Association are collectively committed to ensuring that violence in prisons is not tolerated in any form. Since 2004, a national strategy has directed every public sector prison to have in place a local violence reduction strategy and since mid 2007 this has been applied to the public and contracted out estate. A whole prison approach is encouraged, engaging all staff, all disciplines and prisoners in challenging unacceptable behaviour, problem-solving and personal safety.
	
		
			  Table 1: Assault incidents in Feltham A in the last 12 months 
			   Number 
			  2007  
			 December 23 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 28 
			 February 25 
			 March 27 
			 April 33 
			 May 36 
			 June 31 
			 July 28 
			 August 25 
			 September 34 
			 October 25 
			 November 35 
			  Note: Feltham A holds young people 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Assault incidents in Feltham B in the last 12 months 
			   Number 
			  2007  
			 December 12 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 11 
			 February 13 
			 March 11 
			 April 15 
			 May 16 
			 June 10 
			 July 10 
			 August 24 
			 September 26 
			 October 29 
			 November 22 
			  Note: Feltham B holds young adults 
		
	
	The average population at HMYOI Feltham during this period was 609. Age is a known risk factor and younger prisoners are more likely to be involved in assaults than older prisoners. As regrettable as each assault incident is, the numbers are within the expected range.
	Data on proven adjudications and the punishments imposed at each prison are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Adjudication awards are determined at a local level and therefore those awarded at HMYOI Feltham are not comparable to those awarded at other establishments. Data on punishments imposed at adjudications across the estate are published annually in chapter 9 of the Offender Management Caseload Statistics, available on the Ministry of Justice website at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/omcs2007.pdf.